Volvo unveils its first large electric crawler excavator

Volvo Construction Equipment has electrified its first large crawler excavator as a customer pilot. Designed and built at Volvo's facilities in Changwon, South Korea, the 22-metric ton EC230 electric excavator, which is not yet commercially available, has been tested by customers in South Korea and China. Now the EC230 E machines are coming to North America for demos.

This is Volvo's first large excavator to electrify. It offers the same features as the EC220, the diesel-powered conventional excavator in the same size class.

With its battery power, the excavator is expected to achieve a 60-70% reduction in energy costs compared to the EC220. The EC230 E is equipped with four 66 kilowatt lithium-ion battery packs that provide the operator with four to five hours of operation in general purpose applications. With a high-power fast charge during a lunch hour, the machine should last a full eight-hour shift.

Volvo is working on several power options for job sites, including a faster charger and built-in chargers.

Earlier this year, Volvo CE opened orders for its latest electric machines, the L20 electric compact wheel loader and the EC18 and ECR18 electric compact excavators. Deliveries of the three latest models to North American customers will begin in 2023.