Volvo opens order books in North America for latest electric compact equipment

The availability of the L20 Electric compact wheel loader and EC18 and ECR18 Electric compact excavators brings the Volvo CE electric lineup to an industry-leading five machines. Photo: Volvo Construction Equipment

Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) announced during its press event at the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo in Long Beach, CA, that it is opening its order books to North American customers for its three newest entrants in its electric compact equipment lineup. It also indicated it will be bringing its first mid-size electric excavator to North America for demonstration purposes.

During the press event, the company stated that reservations can now be placed online for the L20 Electric compact wheel loader and the EC18 and ECR18 compact excavators, whose coming availability was announced in in the latter part of 2021.

Features of the L20 Electric compact wheel loader include:

• a 1.8-ton payload and a parallel-type linkage (Z-bar linkage optional),
• enhanced lifting height
• 100% parallel movements
• up to six hours of active work per charge
• choice of battery pack (33 kWh or 40 kWh)
• and reduced maintenance by 30%

Operator comfort is also enhanced by near-silent operation, a new automatic park brake with hill-hold functionality and customizable work modes.

The ECR18 electric excavator features an ultra-short tail radius well suited for confined spaces. Photo: Volvo Construction Equipment

The 1.8-ton EC18 and short-swing ECR18 Electric compact excavators will provide the same stability and operator experience as their diesel counterparts, Volvo CE stated, but provide the added benefit of low noise, low vibration and more responsive hydraulics due to the immediate torque. Both models can deliver four hours of active work per charge, depending on the environment and application.

All three machines come with an integrated on-board charger that allows for charging from zero to 100% in under six hours using the J1772 AC Charging cable on a 240-volt outlet. An optional off-board fast charger will fully charge the L20 Electric in under just two hours and the ECR18 Electric and EC18 Electric up to 80% in under one hour.

The L20, EC18 and ECR18 join the previously launched L25 Electric compact wheel loader and ECR25 Electric compact excavator, which will begin delivery to North American customers in the coming weeks. Deliveries of the three newest models are expected in 2023.

In a further demonstration of its commitment to e-mobility, Volvo CE went on to announce plans to bring its 22-ton EC230 Electric excavator – which it describes as “a significant advancement in the electrification of larger construction equipment” – to North America for demo purposes. 

“As the world moves toward a more environmentally conscious future, the Volvo CE team has worked for decades to become a leader in the construction industry’s electrification journey,” said Ray Gallant, vice president, Product Management & Productivity, Region Americas at Volvo CE. “Producing equipment that can fill the growing need for sustainability solutions for construction companies, government fleets, food and agriculture businesses and more is something we are very proud of.”

Not yet commercially available, the mid-size EC230 has been used in pilot projects overseas and will come to North America later this year.

Other recent, and upcoming, developments include:

• The Electric Machine Management Application (EMMA), which can provide real-time insight into a single electric machine or an entire fleet, including battery status and geographic location.
• A CO₂ Reduction Program to help customers tackle their carbon footprints.
• Volvo Group’s first vehicle made of fossil-free steel, a load carrier made in a Volvo CE facility, as well as the company’s ongoing efforts to eventually use fossil-free steel in all products.
• The active role Volvo CE and Volvo Group continue to play in advancing the charging capabilities of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, including the recently created Volvo Energy business tasked with leading these efforts.