Why You Should Consider Buying an Electric Compact Wheel Loader

By now, anyone who uses compact equipment has probably caught wind of the push toward electric machines. If you’re unsure whether it’s right for your operation, you may be looking for some advice.

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When it comes to compact wheel loaders (CWLs), there are three main reasons to consider going electric: operational benefits, environmental benefits and financial benefits. Let’s take a look at each.

Operational

Some people think an electric machine won’t have as much power as a diesel machine, but that’s just not true. There are brands whose electric model specifications match up with their diesel equivalents. More importantly, early users of electric compact wheel loaders have reported that they’ve experienced no drop in performance compared with a diesel machine.

There are even some ways electric machines outperform diesel models. One of those is the instant torque of electric. When the operator moves the joystick, the response is instantaneous rather than the slight delay that’s common with a diesel machine.

One of the best things about a CWL is its versatility due to its compatibility with multiple attachments, and electric versions are no different. We’ve also heard from operators that the reduced noise and vibration of electric machines makes jobsite communication easier and lessens fatigue.

Runtime is a common question about electric machines, but charging is not as complicated as you might think. Basically, the more power you can put into the machine, the faster it will charge — like filling your vehicle with a fuel pump versus a gas can.

For optimal charging time, it’s best to have a 240-volt, 32-amp Level 2 AC-charging setup that utilizes an SAE J charging adapter or J plug. Before you get worried about the jargon, this is the same setup recommended for electric cars, and 240 volts is what many household appliances run on.

A regular 120-volt outlet should also work depending on the brand of the machine you have, but it will take longer. There are also options like off-board fast chargers and solar-powered chargers. And of course, research and development will provide a wider range of charging options in the coming months and years.

Runtime will vary based on the manufacturer, but the electric compact wheel loaders I’m most familiar with get several hours from a full battery in their most common applications. Another thing to consider is that an electric machine turns off when it’s not in use. So think about how much your diesel compact wheel loaders idle in an average shift versus doing actual work. That electric machine may have more than enough battery to get the job done in a single charge.

Another tip is to not run at full throttle all the time because you usually don’t need excessive power. Run in an appropriate rpm range and you’ll be just fine.

Environmental

Even if sustainability is not a top priority for you, it is to many others. Governments are increasingly enacting clean air regulations, and more project owners are putting sustainability targets into their RFPs. A machine with zero emissions could help you win more bids.

An electric machine could also open up new types of work for you. Just think about all the new and different ways electric CWLs can be used thanks to their zero emissions and significantly lower noise. They can work indoors, in congested areas, near animals and potentially at hours when noise restrictions are in place.

The ability to bid on emission- and noise-restricted jobs is part of a solid long-term business strategy and will help you qualify for applications where conventional machines aren’t welcome. Plus, it’s simply the right thing to do for our environment.

Financial

If you’re concerned about the cost of switching to electric, don’t forget to calculate the total cost of ownership (TCO) and not just the purchase price. Electric machines offer fuel savings, less maintenance and extended component life — and that’s on top of the additional work you may be able to win.

Maintenance is much simpler on an electric machine because there’s no engine to maintain. DEF and other filters also are not needed. Essentially, the only supplies required are grease and hydraulic oil. This is much different than a conventional machine that requires fluid, filter and component checks as often as every day.

Overall, the lifetime of battery-electric components should be equal to or better than that of the diesel engine on a conventional machine. My team conservatively estimates that users will see 35% savings in maintenance cost and time over the life of the electric machines we offer.

I mentioned earlier that many electric machines shut off when not in use. This means they can significantly reduce the accumulation of machine hours compared with diesel machines, which rack up hours while idling. This reduces operating costs — and it can also improve the resale value of the machine.

Summing It Up

Improvements on electric CWLs and charging infrastructure will continue, of course. But they are viable right now, too. Why wait to take advantage of their operational, environmental and financial benefits when you could get started today?

Talk to your dealer or OEM and determine whether an electric compact wheel loader might be a good addition to your lineup.

Lars Arnold is an electromobility product manager for Volvo Construction Equipment. Learn more here!

Volvo Construction Equipment will roll out the mid-size L120 Electric wheel loader and the new generation EC230 Electric excavator in

While the majority of electric construction equipment on the market is compact, Volvo Construction Equipment is meeting the demand for larger, more powerful electrified equipment with the debut of its mid-size L120 Electric wheel loader.

For more information, please visit Electric Loader.

Volvo CE introduced the L120 Electric to the North American market during its Volvo Days event, held at its headquarters in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. The manufacturer also introduced the new generation EC230 Electric excavator.

“These larger battery-electric models mark a significant advancement toward zero-emission solutions that can help businesses and government fleets meet sustainability and productivity goals,” said Dr. Ray Gallant, Vice President of Sustainability and Productivity Services for Volvo CE. “The electric excavator and wheel loader offer comparable performance to their diesel counterparts but with zero emissions, reduced noise and lower maintenance costs.”

The L120 Electric is a 22-ton machine with a 6-ton lifting capacity and a recommended rehandling bucket capacity of 5 cubic yards, giving it nearly identical performance capabilities as its conventional counterpart. 

The electric wheel loader can handle a variety of applications, including infrastructure, waste and recycling, agriculture, forestry, ports and logistics centres.

“As far as performance, it’s quite powerful. The acceleration does rival a diesel machine. The top speed remains the same, but as you would expect with any type of electric vehicle, the torque is more or less instant,” said Chris Connolly, Product Manager for Mid-Size Wheel Loaders. 

“Every electric machine we have brought out, we tried to mimic or duplicate the same performance of the diesel counterpart. And we’ve done so, in some ways better with this machine.”

The electric loader is powered by a 600 Volt, 282-kWh lithium-ion battery system that can run for five to nine hours on a single charge, depending on the application. Charging options include a 50-kW DC mobile charger that will charge the L120 Electric from empty to full in about six hours or a 150-kW DC fast charger that can charge it from empty to full in two hours.

The loader also features active cooling and heating of the high-voltage batteries as well as passive cooling for the electric motors, transmission and hydraulic oil.

Electric motors

The L120 Electric wheel loader is equipped with two separate electric motors for propulsion and a third electric motor for hydraulics. 

“It’s the same Volvo axles, and we use a Volvo transmission on the machine. We are simply adding electric motors to the transmission. The driveline isn’t like what we see in some of the others where you have electric motors running each of the wheels,” Connolly said. 

“We’re very proud of our driveline and the components we build, so we make sure we incorporate those.”

As well, the system recoups deceleration energy to extend battery runtime, reduce brake wear and minimize the need for axle oil cooling. 

More news from Volvo:

• CES welcomes Volvo Group CEO as keynote
• Volvo CE rolls out two new rigid haulers
• Volvo CE boosts functionality on updated CWLs

“We can set levels of recuperation, which allows for one foot operation. As soon as you let go of the accelerator pedal, your coasting action then sends power back to the to the batteries” Connolly said.

The L120 Electric includes many of the same features as its diesel equivalent, including on-board weighing with the Volvo Load Assist system, torque parallel linkage, electro-hydraulic lever controls and auto bucket-levelling functions. The electric loader is compatible with a range of Volvo attachments, such as buckets, forks, grapples, brooms and snowplows.

The L120 Electric wheel loader will be commercially available in North America in . 

EC230 Electric

The 23-ton EC230 Electric is a general-purpose crawler excavator that first launched in early and has been proving itself on jobsites ever since. The electric excavator features a breakout force of 33,500-foot pounds, a maximum digging reach of 9.9 metres and a max digging depth of 6.7 metres 

The updated version of the EC230 Electric excavator delivers improved battery for longer runtime. It also has an updated cab and styling that is part of Volvo’s latest series of excavators.

The first generation EC230 is powered by lithium-ion batteries with a capacity of 264 kWh. For the new version, Volvo CE has increased battery capacity to 450 kWh. Its fast-charging capability has also increased up to 250 kW, reaching 80 per cent charge in 1.5 hours

Depending on the application, the new-generation EC230 has a runtime of 7 to 8 hours. 

The new generation EC230 Electric will be commercially available in North America in early .

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