Volvo CE’s new head of know-how Mats Sköldberg provides perception into the OEM’s path on electrification, various fuels and end-to-end decarbonization – in addition to recounting inspirational moments from his life and profession up to now
Rising up on a cattle farm, little Mats Sköldberg was transfixed by the big tractors glistening and steaming within the brilliant Scandinavian morning of his youth. Volvo at the moment was shifting away from its roots in constructing agricultural autos, however development machines have been a reasonably good second – and the Sköldberg farm was a stone’s throw from Eskilstuna, the place Volvo was, and nonetheless is, based mostly.
“Going by way of college, I used to be occupied with product improvement,” Sköldberg remembers. “I began as a mechanic within the hydraulic lab of what’s Volvo CE at the moment. After college, I returned as a hydraulic engineer, then grew to become a chief engineer. I used to say I wasn’t an awesome engineer, however the full machine and its functions was the place I had my ardour.”
Sköldberg was answerable for wheel loader improvement over a 12-year interval and oversaw the ground-up redesign course of which endowed Volvo CE’s E-Sequence machines with improved consolation, fuel-economy and productiveness. Following a decade in China (extra of that later), he returned to Eskilstuna because the OEM’s new head of know-how in September 2023.
“Being in Volvo CE my complete profession, I believe it’s fairly clear the place we’re aiming,” he says. “After all, that journey considerations sustainable powertrain, electrification and sustainable fuels. There’s additionally how we use information and connectivity, not just for providers, but in addition internally to enhance our merchandise. Then there’s autonomy and operator help, serving to prospects enhance their productiveness.”
Electrical leaders
Volvo CE’s place on electrification is one in all market management. Since creating its first all-electric compact excavators and wheel loaders on the finish of the final decade, it has produced a succession of electrical machines, most lately the L90 and L120 wheel loaders and EWR150 excavator. But electrical machines at the moment account for under a fraction of the 35% of complete gross sales Volvo CE aspires to.
“It’s low in share, however that’s the way it should begin,” says Sköldberg. “Getting machines out provides us one thing to construct on. As a result of merely making an electrical wheel loader isn’t sufficient. We’ve got to create an ecosystem round it, studying along with companions and prospects within the course of.”
The Electrical Website challenge in 2018 demonstrated the feasibility of zero-emissions development on a real-world web site project-managed by Sköldberg within the Metropolis of Gothenburg. It discovered that electrical machines matched the efficiency of diesel counterparts and created optimistic advantages for operators, while mapping the digital options, charging or cable-management infrastructure and enterprise circumstances wanted to assist them.
“It’s super-important to point out this transformation is feasible,” says Sköldberg. “Demonstrations present a studying floor and create partnerships to provide the options and tools which imply it is sensible for purchasers to spend money on electrification. Once we cooperate, we will speed up – and seeing so many firms driving in the identical path makes me assured we are going to get there.”
Volvo CE makes use of lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (LMC), lithium nickel cobalt aluminium oxides (NMC) or lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery applied sciences for various functions. Whereas enhancements in battery energy and life are a great distance off matching these seen in laptop processing energy over the previous 50 years (with Moore’s Legislation exhibiting a doubling each two years) advances are being made.
“Chemistries and packing know-how are evolving to enhance efficiency and scale back value,” says Sköldberg. “In the event you take a two-year view, it isn’t game-changing, however over 5 or 10 years it could possibly be. At this time, completely different chemistries are higher for various merchandise and functions, however what these chemistries might be in 5 years’ time, we have to be taught and discover.”
“Merely making an electrical wheel loader isn’t sufficient. We’ve got to create an ecosystem round it”
Chinese language takeaways
After years creating wheel loaders, Sköldberg was given the chance to change into Volvo CE’s vice-president of know-how in China, which represents the world’s largest wheel loader market. His defining achievement was establishing the Jinan Expertise Centre in Shangdong Province, devoted to creating merchandise and elements for rising markets, which opened in 2014.
“Organising an R&D centre was a once-in-a-lifetime alternative,” he says. “Initially, I deliberate to go for 2 years, which ended up being 10. Dwelling as a foreigner within the so-called expat bubble of Shanghai is kind of straightforward. If you transfer overseas, you be taught lots about your self and see your personal nation in a unique gentle.”
Sköldberg additionally realized lots in regards to the Chinese language market, now amongst Volvo CE’s largest, the place it produces machines underneath each its Volvo and Shandong Lingong Building Equipment (SDLG) manufacturers. These insights ought to assist Volvo CE proceed adapting to
a market with completely different working requirements and fast improvement cycles the place worth is paramount.
“In China, the tempo is completely different,” he says. “Environment friendly supply-chains and an urge for food for know-how imply you will need to come to market and replace merchandise extra shortly. China is nice at digitalization and battery know-how. Electrification is shifting shortly there, with potential to leapfrog different markets.”
Studying in the true world
Volvo CE works intently with municipalities just like the Metropolis of Hanover in Germany to assist their aspirations for zero-emissions transformation. For Sköldberg, this a two-way studying course of which includes understanding the wants and imaginative and prescient of cities as a lot as promoting them machines.
“Cities are vital, as a result of they typically take the primary steps in the direction of zero-emission options,” he says. “They’re additionally a buyer to our prospects, so understanding their imaginative and prescient means we might be ready for his or her necessities.’
However does it concern Sköldberg in any respect {that a} interval of political turbulence in each Europe and the US may yield governance that’s much less forward-thinking on environmental questions?
“We are able to talk about the tempo, however transformation will occur as a result of it has to,” he replies. “It will be useful if nations may align with their goals and all act collectively. They most likely received’t, however our course is constant, as a result of the query just isn’t if, however when. We foresee promoting diesel machines for some time but, however need the transformation to occur as quickly as doable. For native municipalities, it nonetheless appears to be excessive on the agenda.”
Sköldberg joined Volvo in 1993 and, whereas the incredible procession of tractors which peopled his boyhood have lengthy since handed into reminiscence, he stays with the corporate at the moment. Such have been the alternatives to develop and journey and be taught and create that he by no means obtained spherical to leaving. Again the place he began in Eskilstuna, maybe he by no means will.
“No one stays that lengthy until an organization’s values actually resonate with one’s personal,” he says. “Our core values of security, sustainability and high quality sit comfortably with me. We belief and pay attention to one another – that open tradition has helped the corporate survive almost 200 years.”
This text was first revealed within the August difficulty of iVT Worldwide – https://markallen.mydigitalpublication.co.uk/publication/?m=63192&i=827328&p=1&pre=1&ver=html5
