With a spread of compact battery electrical machines now established, Volvo Building Gear (Volvo CE) has begun the subsequent chapter in its electrification journey, with the announcement of two midsized wheel loaders, the L90 Electrical and L120 Electrical, alongside a brand new wheeled battery electrical excavator and an electrical, cable linked materials handler.
The primary of those automobiles accessible to market was the 20-tonne L120 Electrical, which has a six-tonne lifting capability. The L120’s smaller stablemate, the 15-ton L90 Electrical, stated to be the primary battery electrical wheel loader in its class, will observe in chosen European markets in 2025.
The event of the brand new electrical wheel loaders has benefited from battery expertise developed elsewhere within the Volvo Group. “It’s a Volvo electrification system,” says Fredrik Tjernström, Volvo CE electromobility options knowledgeable. “It’s executed with the identical elements as you discover in battery electrical Volvo Vans.”
When it comes to battery manufacturing, Volvo CE is taking a strategic strategy to make sure high quality and management over their electrical machines. “There was an evolution,” says Tjerström. “Within the first compact machines we purchased batteries as full techniques. However what you see within the new wheel loaders is the subsequent degree – we purchase the modules, after which assemble the batteries in our personal factories.”
This transfer in the direction of in-house battery meeting provides Volvo higher management over the standard and efficiency of their electrical machines. It additionally positions the corporate for future developments, with plans to finally produce battery cells in-house.
“We’ve began to construct our battery cell manufacturing unit in Skövde, in between Gothenburg and Stockholm [close to Volvo Group’s main powertrain plant]. So that’s the subsequent step for us,” says Tjernström.
When the battery plant was introduced in 2022 Martin Lundstedt, president and CEO of the Volvo Group stated, “Our ambition that not less than 35% of the merchandise we promote are electrical. This ramp-up would require giant volumes of high-performing batteries, produced utilizing fossil free power and it’s a logical subsequent step for us to incorporate battery manufacturing in our future industrial footprint.”
Electrical transmission
One of the vital improvements within the new wheel loaders is the devoted electrical transmission. “We’ve eliminated the converter, which triggered loads of power losses in a standard wheel loader, and electrical motors are instantly linked to the transmission,” says Tjernström. This not solely dramatically improves power effectivity but in addition enhances machine responsiveness and total efficiency.
The L90 and L120 Electrical function separate electrical motors for hydraulics and propulsion, additional optimizing power use and efficiency. “In a standard wheel loader, you typically drive or function utilizing one foot on the brake and one on the fuel pedal,” says Tjernström. “As a result of if you need full hydraulic stress to boost the bucket shortly, you step on the brake and push the throttle to construct hydraulic stress. However within the new electrical wheel loaders there is no such thing as a relation like that. So, you possibly can pull the lever hydraulic lever, and you’ll get full hydraulic energy immediately. The accelerator pedal solely controls the drivetrain.”
This decoupled system gives operators with immediate hydraulic energy and extra exact management over the machine’s actions. Whereas the brand new management paradigm might require some adaptation for skilled operators accustomed to conventional machines, it finally ends in faster response occasions, improved power effectivity, and elevated productiveness via shorter cycle occasions, in addition to a extra intuitive studying curve for brand new operators.
Matching diesel efficiency
A standard concern with electrical building tools is whether or not it may well match the efficiency of its diesel counterparts. Volvo CE has addressed this head-on with the L90 and L120 Electrical. “You are able to do the identical work duties with this machine,” says Tjernström. “The distinction, after all, is the runtime.”
Nonetheless, energy autonomy ranges are nonetheless spectacular with the L120 Electrical in a position to work a full day of round 5-9 hours on a single cost, and the L90 Electrical lasting for about 4-5 hours of medium responsibility operation. “The hot button is to plan your working day in such a method that you simply make the most of non-productive time, utilizing breaks to cost the machine,” says Tjernström.
To make sure most run time Volvo CE has put appreciable thought and engineering into the battery expertise, that are temperature-controlled, that includes each cooling and heating techniques to make sure optimum efficiency, whatever the local weather. “We’ve performed in depth buyer assessments in a number of websites in China, Dubai and Australia, with very constructive suggestions,” says Tjernström.
To boost the convenience of power provision the charging techniques for the wheel loaders have been designed with flexibility and practicality in thoughts. They’re appropriate with present charging requirements, which reduces the boundaries to adoption for firms seeking to combine electrical machines into their fleets.
“You cost it with a CCS2 inlet in order that’s the identical charging requirements you’ve for vehicles or vans,” says Tjernström, “So you possibly can share the charging infrastructure on web site with different tools or automobiles.”
The L90 fees from 0-100% in about 70 minutes utilizing a 150kW DC quick charger or Volvo’s PU500 cellular energy unit, whereas its AC on-board cable can energy up in 6-7 hours for in a single day charging. The L120 fees from 10-100% in a single hour 40 minutes with a 180 kW DC quick charger or the PU500 and in seven hours with a 40 kW DC transportable charger. Each wheel loaders even have recuperative skill, utilizing braking power when decelerating to cost batteries, guaranteeing an extended runtime and brake life.
Enhanced consolation and security
The advantages of the brand new electrical machines lengthen past decreased CO2 emissions. Tjernström factors out the numerous enhancements in operator consolation and web site security: “They’ve a 3rd of the noise of an analogous diesel machines, nevertheless it additionally a tenth of the vibrations. And that’s actually helpful for operator consolation within the work surroundings. Operators typically don’t consider the affect of noise and vibrations till they struggle it. However then they expertise that they’re not as exhausted afterwards as they’re after they use diesel.”
These dramatic reductions in noise and vibrations additionally make the machines extra appropriate for city environments and enclosed areas, with the discount in emissions lowering destructive well being impacts. “The NOx, particulate matter and all the opposite emissions are eliminated,” says Tejernström, “In an city surroundings this reduces destructive impacts to the well being and well-being of the individuals within the metropolis, in addition to the operators.”
Electrification has additionally allowed for extra superior management techniques and software program integration. Operators can simply entry features and settings from the intuitive interface, which integrates the Volvo Co-Pilot and rearview digital camera when fitted.
In the meantime the machine’s powertrain, which was beforehand managed by mechanical techniques, is now managed by software program.
“Earlier than it was loads in valves and hoses,” says Tejernström “However now it’s in much more within the software program. “So, you’ve extra potentialities to tune and customise the behaviour of the machine or the cooling system or no matter.”
This software-centric strategy permits for higher customization and ongoing enhancements via updates, probably extending the helpful life and capabilities of the machines over time.
With the L90 and L120 Electrical, Volvo CE is not only providing new machines; they’re offering a glimpse into the way forward for building tools – a future that’s cleaner, quieter, and extra environment friendly than ever earlier than.
“It’s super-exciting,” says Volvo’s new director of expertise Mats Sköldberg. “These machines will discover functions the place, from a complete value perspective, electrification can begin to make sense for patrons. Now we now have the operating hours which imply the comparative value of gas within the diesel model will compensate their funding. We wish to change bigger machines which emit extra CO2 and thereby enhance our affect.”
Digging the longer term
Breaking with conventional secrecy surrounding new launches Volvo CE has given an early preview of its forthcoming EWR150 Electrical wheeled excavator, not accessible until mid-2025.
The machine is the corporate’s first electrical short-tail wheeled excavator and is assembly a requirement from clients, a few of whom at the moment depend on transformed electrical automobiles. The EWR150 Electrical is a factory-built electrical machine, promising higher power effectivity and decrease whole value of possession.
The excavator options state-of-the-art batteries just like these discovered within the new electrical wheel loaders, the L90 and L120, outfitted with a thermo-management system to make sure optimum working temperature.
“It’s a machine the place we work very a lot with effectivity, so it is ready to survive a full working day with one cost,” says Heiko Steinbach, an engineer on the event staff at Volvo CE. “That’s eight hours. There may be the odd exception, however I believe we are going to cowl 90% of the functions with one cost after which in a single day charging.”
When it comes to efficiency, the EWR150 Electrical is designed to match its diesel counterpart, the favored EWR150E, with which it shares just about similar dimensions. “You may have been in a position to have all the identical features because the conference machine,” says Steinbach, “Which implies you are able to do the identical job as earlier than, with the identical lifting capacities and the identical machine velocity and energy.”
One of many key challenges in growing this electrical wheeled excavator was sustaining the compact design whereas incorporating the battery system. “For the reason that EWR150E is brief radius machine, it was crucial to maintain this compactness,” says Steinbach. “However we use the batteries as counterweight, so which means the traditional counterweight generally is a bit smaller, however the machine is barely heavier than the traditional one.”
All the time linked
At first of 2024 Volvo CE added one thing totally different in its electrical line up – the cable grid-connected EW240 Electrical Materials Handler, geared toward indoor waste and recycling centres.
There is no such thing as a method of driving the wheels on the machine, so if it must be moved it have to be towed by one other automobile, however this fits the trade is serves as such machines have a tendency to remain in a single place more often than not.
“It may be used to load and unload vans or for sorting.” says Thomas Nather, SAS business venture supervisor at Volvo CE. “So, it’s designed simply to remain in a single place.”
This strategy can ship vital effectivity advantages over time with decrease power and upkeep prices and just about zero downtime with not even refuelling or recharging required, however a robust power supply always linked. “It’s a pure electrical machine, nevertheless it’s pushed by a giant cable,” says Nather, “Meaning 200 volts and 250 amps.”
The EW240 proves that there’s a couple of approach to construct an electrical automobile and that totally different industries lend themselves to totally different options. “That is undoubtedly our start line into electrical machines for this market,” says Nather.
