Volvo CE joins Swedish consortium to electrify the US construction industry
The Sweden-US Green Transition Initiative is a collaborative program founded by Business Sweden, the Embassy of Sweden in USA, the Swedish Energy Agency, and Sweden’s innovation agency Vinnova. The new consortium is represented by industry leaders Volvo CE, Atlas Copco Group and Husqvarna Construction, and marks a milestone in the journey towards decarbonizing construction.
With the aim of demonstrating the real-world potential of electric construction equipment, the partnership will initially focus on the construction of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in the United States, using exclusively electric battery-powered equipment.
Showcasing their collective commitment to sustainability and innovation, the trio are at the forefront of developing cutting-edge electric construction equipment. These include electric excavators and wheel loaders from Volvo CE, portable air compressors and energy storage systems from Atlas Copco and concrete power cutters from Husqvarna Construction.
Accelerating the transition towards a low-carbon economy
“Volvo CE is advancing sustainable power in the construction industry with our lineup of low- and zero-emission heavy equipment, yet we know collaboration will be critical to bring about the type of holistic change that is truly needed,” said Ray Gallant, Vice President, Product Management and Productivity at Volvo CE North America.
A Volvo L25 Electric wheel loader carrying pipes for the Kempower charging station build.
“We’re excited to join other well-respected, like-minded companies to demonstrate how these more sustainable alternatives can be used to help deliver the infrastructure improvements we need.”
"The future of construction equipment is electric. There may not be an electric alternative for every application yet, but in Atlas Copco Group we already have a wide range of electric solutions available and are committed to further developments,” said Bert Derom, President of Atlas Copco Portable Air Division.
“We are proud to be delivering real-world solutions to help our customers and their customers adopt a more energy efficient way of working.”
“We look forward to contributing our expert knowledge along with equipment and diamond tools from the light construction industry to support this journey toward creating low CO2 emission construction sites,” said Karin Falk, President, Husqvarna Construction. “This partnership is a great opportunity to show how we can support the construction industry to lower its fossil dependency.”
The Sweden-US Green Transition Initiative aims to accelerate Swedish American collaboration in the transition toward a low-carbon economy. Since the opening of its Washington DC office in November 2022, it has established pilot projects that showcase innovative solutions, with the goal of paving the way towards a sustainable transition.
With support from the Embassy of Sweden in USA, Business Sweden, the Swedish Energy Agency, and Sweden's innovation agency Vinnova, the initiative promotes more sustainable solutions in various sectors.
Watch below the coalition in action building a charging hub together with Kempower and EVRevolution in Durham, North Carolina – a project which helped collectively save 258 kg of CO2 over the four week building period.