Heavy equipment manufacturers are experimenting with—and fully implementing—alternative sources of power for their heavy equipment. The most popular alternative to diesel is electric.
The electrification of heavy equipment is beginning from the top down and the bottom up when it comes to equipment size. The two most popular models to be electrified are the rigid haul dump truck (50-500 tons) and the compact excavator (one-to-three tons).
Volvo Construction Equipment has three new models of electric machines (two compact excavators and one wheel loader) and brought two of them—the ECR25 Electric Compact Excavator and the L25 Electric Compact Wheel Loader—to The Utility Expo 2021.
Hear from Lars Arnold, Product Manager – Utility Products at Volvo Construction Equipment discuss their new lineup of electric fleet equipment and how it stacks up against other leading equipment in the industry.
These two machines have diesel counterparts, and both the electric and diesel machines have similar specifications.
ECR25 Electric compact excavator
The ECR25 Electric beats its diesel counterpart (the Volvo ECR25D) when it comes to weight (about 6,000 pounds versus about 5,700 pounds), horsepower (24 hp versus 20.9 hp), and breakout force (5,020 lb-ft versus 4,554 lb-ft).
Both machines feature a zero-tail swing radius design, have the same ergonomic cabs with incredible visibility, and can be equipped with the same attachments, including an optional long arm, which extends dig depth by 12 inches and dump height by six inches.
However, the ECR25D also has a longer run time than the ECR25 Electric, which is up to four hours depending on application.
However, the ECR25 Electric offers certain benefits that all electric machines provide, such as reduced fumes due to the lack of an exhaust, which means a more pleasant working environment and the ability to work indoors; reduced noise, so you can work at night and in inner city areas; and reduced vibration, so you can work in sensitive environments.
The ECR25 Electric features an on-board charging time about five hours (at 230 VAC 16A) or an off-board charging time that will charge the battery to 80 percent capacity within about 50 minutes (with 400 VAC 32A), so it’s a great option for charging over lunch.
The ECR25 Electric features a zero-tail swing radius design making it perfect to confidently work in confined spaces. And thanks to zero emissions, the need for costly fumes extraction systems is eliminated in indoor jobs, such as basement groundworks and building demolition. This opens up new business opportunities which in turn helps optimize utilization.
L25 Electric wheel loader
The Volvo L25 Electric is the first in a new range of electric compact wheel loaders. With this machine, you will be able to experience the same performance levels but with zero exhaust emissions, as well as less noise and vibration, which expands this machine’s potential, such as working in residential areas at night or in sensitive areas.
The machine features a standard bucket capacity of 1.17 yd³, a bucket breakout force 121,252 lb.-ft., a tipping load of 7,385 pounds, and a Z-bar linkage. It also features 29.5 hp (net) electric motor driveline and 18.8 hp (net) electric motor working hydraulics.
The lithium-ion 48 V batteries on the Volvo L25 Electric have a capacity of 40 kWh and allow for easy charging, which is designed to cover an average workday in applications such as light infrastructure work, landscaping and agriculture. It has an indicative runtime (depending on application) of up to eight hours. Its on-board charging time is about 6 hours (at VAC 16A) and with its optional off-board charger, the loader can charge in about 2 hours (at VAC 32A).
Besides decreased fuel costs, electric machines require significantly less maintenance than machines with diesel engines, so your owning and operating costs are reduced with electric vehicles.
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