Volvo shows 22 tonne electric excavator

Volvo CE has publicly demonstrated its first electrified zero-local-emissions crawler excavator at larger than compact size.

Volvo CE’s EC230 22 tonne electric excavator concept

The 22 tonne EC230 battery-electric machine was presented at the company’s first Volvo Days event in Eskilstuna, Sweden, since before the coronavirus pandemic.

The excavator runs on four 66kW lithium-ion batteries and Volvo says it expects the machine to deliver a reduction in running costs of between 60% and 70%, compared with its diesel-powered equivalent.

Speaking on the first day of the three-week-long event, Volvo CE president Melker Jernberg said the EC230 was capable of operating for an eight-hour shift, with slow charging overnight, followed by a high-power charge during a lunch hour.

Developed in China

First displayed at Bauma China in November 2020, the pilot machine is now reported to be with customers in China and South Korea, undergoing extensive in-the-field testing.

The company said the excavator will be ‘matured’ during this customer testing phase, with an expectation of it becoming commercially available in the near future.

The general-purpose machine was developed in China and has been designed for applications including extraction, earthmoving and grading for site preparation in the building segment, as well as waste and scrap handling in the recycling and waste segment.

Mats Sköldberg, head of technology at Volvo CE China, said, “China is the largest electromobility market globally and a leading producer of electromobility components, which provides the demand and means to manufacture a machine locally.

“In addition, China has an industrial strategy to decrease dependence on diesel and so the electromobility market is expected to move quicker. These factors make China the perfect place to test our new machines and gain valuable customer feedback.”