Strongco recently showcased the emissions-free power of Volvo Construction Equipment’s compact electric lineup during its demo days across Canada.
Throughout the fall, Strongco held demos in Milton, Ontario, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Laval and St. Augustin, Quebec and Acheson, Alberta.
“We’re getting more and more interest in electric every single month, and the big motivation is sustainability,” said Roy Milicevic, Strongco Sales Manager, CE Ontario.
“We have some customers that want to electrify 40 to 50 per cent of their fleet within the next five to 10 years.”
Volvo Construction Equipment offers the largest lineup of electric equipment in the industry. This includes three electric compact excavators —the ECR25 (2,680 to 2,780 kg), ECR18 (1,790 to 1,870 kg) and the EC18 (1,960 kg) — as well as the L25 (4,900 to 5,270 kg) and L20 (4,550 kg) electric wheel loaders.
Recently, Volvo also announced it will begin production of the DD25 electric compactor at its factory in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. The mid-size 23-ton EC230 Electric excavator is also expected to arrive in Canada later this year.
While sustainability is a key factor for many contractors that purchase electric equipment, performance is also a benefit. The specs between a diesel and electric machine are nearly identical.
However, electric machines deliver instant torque as there is no delay in rpm.
“In terms of performance, we’ve seen what they can do. I think they perform above their weight class,” Milicevic said.
Depending on the job, a typical stop-start work pattern will allow operation of an electric machine for four to six hours on a single charge.
“We get the same work hours from the electric compact excavator that we do from a diesel compact excavator,” Milicevic said.
As well, with diesel construction equipment, engine runtime defines operating time, but many of those hours include machine idling. With electric equipment, as soon as the operator stops working, the motors turn off and operating hours are not accumulated.
Quiet operation
The reduction in noise is another important factor. The ECR25 is two times quieter than its diesel counterpart.
“You can literally have a conversation with the operator while he’s digging a hole,” Milicevic said.
Noise reduction not only reduces fatigue for the operator but allows the machine to work in new, sound sensitive environments and for longer time periods in municipalities with restrictions.
As the electric machines do not include engines or cooling fans, maintenance is also greatly reduced. The only services required are grease, hydraulic oil and in some cases coolant for watercooled inverters and drivetrain.
On average, an electric machine will save about $3,500 per year compared to a diesel-powered machine.
“If we add that up over the machine’s lifespan, it’s pretty significant savings,” Milicevic said.
