iVT takes a visit to Volvo CE’s headquarters and proving floor in Ekilstuna, Sweden to rise up near its newly introduced mid-size electrical machines, with perception from the consultants.
With a spread of compact battery electrical machines now firmly established, Volvo Development Gear (Volvo CE) has begun the following 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 autos to be made out there to market – from the fourth quarter of 2024 – would be the 20-tonne L120 Electrical, which has a six-tonne lifting capability. The L120’s smaller stablemate, the 15-tonne L90 Electrical, mentioned to be the primary battery electrical wheel loader in its class, will comply with in chosen European markets in 2025.
The design of the brand new electrical wheel loaders has benefited from battery know-how 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 Vehicles.”
By way of battery manufacturing, Volvo CE is taking a strategic method 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 methods. However what you see within the new wheel loaders is the following stage – we purchase the modules, after which assemble the batteries in our personal factories.”
This transfer in the direction of in-house battery meeting offers 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 have now began to construct our battery cell manufacturing facility 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 mentioned, “Our ambition is that at the least 35% of the merchandise we promote will probably be 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.”
“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 prompted lots of power losses in a traditional wheel loader, and electrical motors are immediately linked to the transmission,” says Tjernström. This not solely dramatically improves power effectivity but additionally enhances machine responsiveness and the general efficiency.
The L90 and L120 Electrical function separate electrical motors for hydraulics and propulsion, additional optimising power use and efficiency. “In a traditional wheel loader, you usually drive or function utilizing one foot on the brake and one on the gasoline pedal,” says Tjernström. “As a result of if you would like full hydraulic stress to lift the bucket shortly, you step on the brake and push the throttle to construct hydraulic stress. However within the new electrical wheel loaders there isn’t any relation like that. So you may pull the lever hydraulic lever, and you’ll get full hydraulic energy immediately. The accelerator pedal solely controls the drivetrain.”
This decoupled system offers operators with instantaneous hydraulic energy and extra exact management over the machine’s actions. Whereas the brand new management paradigm could require some adaptation for knowledgeable operators accustomed to conventional machines, it finally leads to faster response instances, improved power effectivity, and elevated productiveness by means of shorter cycle instances, in addition to a extra intuitive studying curve for brand new operators.
Matching diesel efficiency
A typical concern with electrical machines is whether or not they can match the efficiency of 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, in fact, 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 to 9 hours on a single cost, and the L90 Electrical lasting for roughly 4 to 5 hours of medium responsibility operation. “The bottom line is to plan your working day in such a means that you just utilise 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 know-how, which is temperature-controlled, that includes each cooling and heating methods to make sure optimum efficiency, whatever the local weather. “We’ve performed in depth buyer checks in a number of websites in China, Dubai and Australia, with very optimistic suggestions,” says Tjernström.
To reinforce the benefit of power provision, the charging methods for the wheel loaders have been designed with flexibility and practicality in thoughts. They’re suitable with present charging requirements, which reduces the limitations 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 got for vehicles or vehicles,” says Tjernström, “So you may share the charging infrastructure on web site with different tools or autos.”
The L90 prices from 0-100% in about 70 minutes utilizing a 150kW DC quick charger or Volvo’s PU500 cell energy unit, whereas its AC on-board cable can energy up in six to seven hours for in a single day charging. The L120 prices from 10-100% in a single hour 40 minutes with a 180kW DC quick charger or the PU500 and in seven hours with a 40kW DC moveable charger. Each wheel loaders even have recuperative means, 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 the discount in 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, but additionally a tenth of the vibrations. And that’s actually useful for operator consolation within the work atmosphere.
“Operators usually don’t consider the affect of noise and vibrations till they fight it. However then they expertise that they don’t seem to be as exhausted afterwards as they’re once they use diesel.”
The dramatic reductions in noise and vibrations additionally make the machines extra appropriate for city environments and enclosed areas, with the discount in emissions past simply carbon decreasing rapid unfavorable well being impacts of diesel machines. “The NOx, particulate matter and all the opposite emissions are eliminated,” says Tejernström, “In an city atmosphere this reduces unfavorable 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 methods and oftware 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 methods, is now managed by software program. “Earlier than it was so much in valves and hoses,” says Tejernström “However now it’s managed utilizing software program methods. This creates a brand new vary of prospects to remotely tune and customise the behaviour of the machine or the cooling system, or no matter.”
This software-centric method permits for higher customisation and ongoing enhancements by means of updates, extending the helpful life and capabilities of the machines.
With the L90 and L120 Electrical, Volvo CE isn’t just 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 it has ever been earlier than.
“It’s super-exciting,” says Volvo’s new director of know-how Mats Sköldberg. “These machines will discover purposes the place, from a complete value perspective, electrification can begin to make sense for purchasers. Now now we have the operating hours, which imply the comparative value of gasoline within the diesel model will compensate their funding. We wish to exchange bigger machines which emit extra CO2 and thereby enhance our affect.”
This text was first printed within the August challenge of iVT Worldwide
