Volvo Electric Compact Excavator Prototype Wins Award

Volvo Construction Equipment’s (Volvo CE) 100% electric compact excavator prototype – known as the EX2 – has won the Equipment & Machinery Award in the Earthmoving & Demolition category of the Intermat Innovation Awards.

The concept machine, which Volvo CE said delivers zero emissions, 10 times higher efficiency, 10 times lower noise levels and reduced total cost of ownership compared to its conventional counterparts, was recognized for its contribution towards progress in the construction industry.At this stage, the EX2 is still part of a research project and it is not commercially available.

“I am extremely proud that the EX2 has been awarded this globally-recognized innovation award,” said Ahcène Nedjimi, electromobility specialist and EX2 project leader at Volvo CE. “The EX2 is a revolutionary machine. The electrification of construction equipment will produce cleaner, quieter and more efficient machines – this represents the future of our industry. I’m pleased that the judges have recognized its significance.”

To make the EX2 prototype fully electric, the internal combustion engine has been replaced with two lithium ion batteries, totaling 38 kWh, which store enough electric energy to operate the machine for eight hours in an intense application, such as digging compact ground, the company said. The hydraulic architecture has also been replaced with electric architecture, which incorporates electromechanical linear actuators that help to optimize the transmission chain. Removing the hydraulic system and the combustion engine, as well as reducing the cooling needs, has led to significantly lower noise levels, Volvo CE said.

The Intermat 2018 Innovation Awards honor equipment, techniques, services, products and solutions that contribute towards progress in the construction and infrastructure industry. The judging panel consisted of 13 industry specialists who selected the top nine submissions to receive awards out of a field of 90 entries from leading manufacturers.