Electric construction machine in agriculture

Volvo Electric Construction Equipment

Electric agriculture

Giving back to nature with electric agriculture

We depend on agriculture to maintain our health and wellbeing. The working of soil, the rearing of animals and the harvesting of plants and crops are all vital to keep humanity alive and thriving. But just as much as we gain from our natural resources - so too must we play our part to protect the environment as much as possible.

Electric construction equipment, with zero exhaust emissions and a more sustainable operation, provides the key to working more sustainably within agriculture. Our portfolio of electric construction machines have been designed to tackle the many varied tasks required for the agriculture, farming and equestrian industries.

From digging, trenching and landscaping through to ground maintenance and transporting material, construction equipment has the ability to handle any heavy-duty task with ease, saving time and reducing manual labour. But for centuries diesel-powered solutions have been the preferred option. Now our zero-emission and near silent wheel loaders and excavators offer a sustainable alternative to their traditional fossil fuel-powered counterparts.

They have the power to achieve rapid and productive results with minimal impact on environment, plant life or livestock. What is more the low noise emissions of our machines are an incredible advantage – not only allowing customers to operate inside and outside at all hours of the day, but also ensuring a more peaceful working day for both humans and animals.

Agriculture has played a huge role in our ability to survive and thrive in communities around the world. Now it is our turn to help protect the nourishing of our crops and livestock with industrial solutions that do not take away from our natural environment.

Electric power meets horsepower

As one of Sweden’s most well known and oldest stud farms, Menhammar not only has a leading reputation to uphold, but 1,800 hectares of land to maintain. And to ensure they do so with the most sustainable approach possible, the owners are putting to work three L25 Electric wheel loaders to perform many varied tasks, from shifting feed and hay for cows and horses, to mucking out the stables and general material handling. Zero exhaust emissions, near silence and low maintenance requirements are essential advantages when it comes to delivering these demanding day-to-day tasks, but now with a lighter carbon footprint. The electric construction machines’ battery technology ensures jobs are done quickly and efficiently, without disturbing the animals.

Sustainable equine industry

This world renowned stud farm is home to around 300 horses, as well as 50 cows and 25 sheep. To the outside world it breeds, trains and sells the very best trotting horses for racing, with a huge presence in Europe. But inside on the farm it is an environment where its animals and staff come first and where conserving the landscape is a top priority. Not only do the owners take care to ensure zero emission operation on site but they also work hard to ensure a sustainable approach across everything they do. From embracing biodiversity and renewable energy, through to ensuring the emotional and physical wellbeing of both people and animals. Through its partnership with Volvo CE, it is continuing to lead the transformation of the equine industry.

Circular approach for sustainable agriculture

Menhammar is committed to sustainability and believes in the power of renewable energy and innovative practices to make a real difference. This is demonstrated by its approach to a circular economy. It has not only installed solar panels, but also introduced a biofuel plant which produced over 1.8 million kWh of renewable energy in 2022 alone. It has not only used hydrotreated vegetable oil to power its agricultural machinery - resulting in a CO₂ reduction of 420 tonnes - but has also introduced Volvo electric construction equipment. And finally with a custom-built pond, it is managing its waste in a much more sustainable way, significantly reducing phosphorus levels from horse paddock run-off.

Agriculture at Menhammar

Ulf Segerström at Menhammar about benefits with electric construction machines

Electric wheel loaders in agriculture

Ulf Segerström, Operations Manager at Menhammar, says: “We’re on a journey to becoming a fossil-free site so switching to electric machines makes sense. Their near silent and zero emission operation makes them ideal for working near our horses and livestock. We can get closer to them without causing any unnecessary stress. We’re really impressed with the battery life of the machines, which enable us to get jobs around the farm done quickly and efficiently, all without disturbing the animals. They’re much more comfortable for our employees to operate and work alongside too. All-in-all it makes for a much more peaceful and clean work environment.”

Animals and electric construction equipment

Electric dairy farming

Working about eight hours a day to push feed, load the grain mixer and distribute bedding material is no easy task. Not only is the L25 Electric wheel loader a powerful tool to get the best possible performance at this dairy farm, but it does so using energy supplied from an electric generator powered by biogas, largely derived from cow manure. Economical and environmental, this project is proving that the agriculture community is embracing the latest advances in electric technology to work as sustainably as possible.

Cost savings on a pig farm with electric construction equipment

Cost savings and uptime

Pig farmer Anders Michaelsson cannot decide whether it is the quiet emission free operation or the huge fuel cost savings that is the best advantage when he switched to the L25 Electric wheel loader. Furthermore, machine hours per year have dropped from 900 hours on a traditional diesel wheel loader to now just 600 hours - largely due to the fact there is zero idling with an electric machine. He also reports a much more enjoyable - and responsive - operation and a better environment for animals and humans.

Electric loader in city zoo

The capacity of the battery inside our electric wheel loader allows operators to work continuously for up to six hours - almost the entire working day - at Riga Zoo. This strength has helped maintain the tourist attraction in the heart of Latvia’s capital city. The L25 Electric performs its tasks with both the operator and the surrounding environment in mind - producing almost no noise and without any harmful emissions. It is an initiative that goes hand in hand with the zoo’s modern approach to sustainability.

Riding high on sustainability

Reducing noise pollution is essential to benefit not only us humans but also our animal friends. It was a key motivation for the European Junior and Young Rider championship to put to work an L25 Electric loader and an ECR25 Electric excavator in the maintenance of the Military Riding Center in Montelibretti, Italy. Working at the championship venue in 2023, these machines demonstrated that sustainable change does not need to compromise on power and performance. Our electric future cannot wait.

I save €7,000 a year - the price difference is that big between diesel and electricity

Pig farmer Anders Michaelsson

Energy cost savings calculator

Electric loader on a vineyard

When innovation and a commitment to sustainability come together, incredible things can happen - like when our L25 Electric wheel loader joined Sandalford Winery to enhance the vineyard’s ongoing sustainability initiatives. The zero emission construction machine is a perfect match for this Australian customer, which aims to minimize its environmental impact by embracing a circular economy approach. By composting grape stalks for example, the winery is capable of creating organic fertilizer for its soil. And now with our electric wheel loader working on site, the result is high quality wines which have a reduced impact on our planet.

Eco farming in Northern Sweden

Dairy farming requires a huge amount of work and it is no different for Normalms Lantbruk farm in Sweden, where the morning milking of 165 cows takes approximately 3.5 hours. So efficiency has always been a key priority. And after a few months of putting our L25 Electric wheel loader to work, our customer here is happy that there has been no compromise on performance. Despite years of driving diesel counterparts, operators quickly got used to its electric operation, appreciating its ability to carry out all the day-to-day tasks while also providing a more comfortable and peaceful working environment - for both humans and animals alike.

Embracing on-site power for electric agriculture

When the owners of Pennsylvania dairy farm Lancaster Farming opted to add a zero-emission Volvo L25 Electric wheel loader to their fleet, they decided to also power the machine through the farm’s anaerobic digester. Having on-site power that is readily available has not only ensured the farm’s owners maintain an environmental approach across their operations but has also resulted in incredible cost savings. And that is above the advantages of reduced noise, lower vibrations and a better performance compared to diesel.

Our electric construction equipment

EC230 Electric UAE

ECR25 Electric UAE

L120 Electric

L20 Electric

Zero emission construction

Why go electric?

Benefits of electric within agriculture

The electrification of agriculture is already underway - and with growing awareness of climate issues as well as increasing regulations, it is now becoming a business necessity. But electric construction machines provide many more advantages. As well as being more environmentally friendly, they require far less maintenance than diesel powered alternatives and even ensure a lower total cost of ownership. What is more, companies can be assured that high efficiency is maintained across a versatile range of tasks.

Benefits with electric construction

Charging in agriculture

Charging electric construction equipment, whether it is an electric excavator or an electric wheel loader, is usually not a problem when working in agriculture. Due to application and length of use of the electric construction equipment you can often manage with a single phase overnight charge. Would that not be enough, it can be a good idea to invest in a fast charger. There are a number of options that are easy to use and most importantly provide lasting power and performance. Once you understand your charging requirements, it is often a simple addition to your working schedule.

Charging construction equipment

Runtime calculator

Discover your electric runtime and which charger to choose

Runtime

Electric construction equipment - for all applications

Waste and recycling

Electric waste and recycling

Waste and recycling is often just as demanding as agriculture. Which is why companies need reliable and efficient tools that get a versatile range of jobs done in the most sustainable way possible. With electric construction machines, businesses can move towards a quieter and more productive future.

Waste and recycling

Landscaping

Electric Landscaping

Just like animals, plant life requires a more sensitive hand. The low noise and zero exhaust emissions of our electric construction equipment provide the perfect environment for flora and fauna to thrive. What is more, operators have been impressed at the ability to work smoothly and quickly in highly sensitive locations.

Electric landscaping

Utility

Electric utility works

It is essential that we ensure our cities function well, while still maintaining the health and wellbeing of its residents. So whether it is building sewage and water infrastructure or maintaining electricity and power, we need the power of zero emission solutions to help us build more sustainable cities.

Electric utility works