Volvo Electric Construction Equipment

Charging construction equipment

Optimize your workday with our charging solutions

Making the most out of your electric construction machines is simple when you have the right charging solutions to keep them up and running. At Volvo CE, we have made it easy for the customer by providing several options for charging construction equipment, all built to provide lasting power and performance. From single phase overnight charging with an on-board charging cable through to three phase fast chargers that are portable and easy to use, we provide access to all the solutions you need.

Battery electric machines offer many benefits - from zero exhaust emissions and near silence to opening up new business opportunities and providing a more comfortable and peaceful work environment. They can also be put to work across a variety of applications. However, we know that no job is ever the same as another, which often means that the way these electric construction machines are used, under what conditions and for how long differ from site to site. To make the most of these benefits, it is therefore essential to plan ahead when moving to battery electric construction equipment and understand what your requirements are to ensure you use the optimum chargers.

The time it takes to charge an electric construction machine depends on the charging solutions and the power source available. But with our easy-to-use charging solutions, we have taken away any charging anxiety and replaced it with reliable and efficient options for charging construction equipment that cater to almost any jobsite.

The key to optimizing your workday is simply to plan ahead. It is a new way of working, but one that you will find is quickly adaptable to your day, with just one or two minor changes to your plans. We at Volvo CE have the charging solutions for you, so read on to find out what option is best suited to your needs, before then discovering how to plan charging into your operations.

What type of charging solution should you use? It all depends on your electric machine and how and where you are using it.

Volvo electric compact construction equipment

Compact construction equipment 48V

Charging solutions for electric compact construction equipment: EC18 Electric, ECR18 Electric, ECR25 Electric and L20 Electric, L25 Electric.

Charging solutions for compact

Volvo electric mid-size construction equipment

Large construction equipment 600V

Charging solutions for electric mid-size construction equipment: EC230 Electric and L120H Electric Conversion.

Charging solutions for mid-size

Charging construction equipment made easy

It is common to work a full day with all the power and performance required to complete a normal workload without needing to charge your machine at all. However, with a more demanding workload or for the larger mid-size excavator or wheel loader you might need to use your normal work breaks for a quick ‘opportunity charge’. Once you know the chargers you need and the power supply you have to hand, the only difference is that you need to plan charging into your workday to best fit your break schedule. Our advice is simply to plan ahead, get to know your machine and soon the process simply becomes part of your daily routine.

Power unit charging large construction equipment

Charging options to best fit your workload

If your workload in a compact excavator or compact wheel loader is extremely heavy or if you are using one of our larger electric construction vehicles, we recommend investing in a fast charger. And if for your larger electric machines you have weak or no access to the electricity grid, we recommend you use our mobile power unit and charge your electric machine directly on the construction site. The power unit can even charge other brands of construction equipment as well as other types of vehicles, including electric trucks. You can discover the best option for you, as well as advice on when to plan in charging breaks and how long for, with our expert-approved calculator for charging planning.

Runtime and Charging Calculator

What do operators say about our charging solutions?

Pre-planning charging

“There has been absolutely no trouble with charging at all. We've got the trickle charger, which we use for both machines overnight, and then we've got the fast charger which we use to add a little bit more charge into each machine during our lunch breaks. So with a bit of preplanning, it’s absolutely easy.” David Gorman, Landscape Team Leader for the Eden Project in the UK.

Electric landscaping

Battery lasts all day

“I felt sceptical, to be honest, and thought the battery would’t last all day but it charges really fast. You can work all day and complete your tasks. If I was given the choice, I would definitely choose electric.” Richard Sjöblom, Excavator Operator at Skanska working with EC230 Electric at Slakthusområdet.

Slakthusområdet

Charging at a ski slope

“The energy is available up here, and we can tap into it at any time. The other advantage is the absence of exhaust emissions, that’s great.” Melchior Burlon, site manager at Ghelma AG Baubetriebe, tells about the ECR25 Electric being charged via the Schilthorn cable car’s power supply.

Charging at Schilthorn

No trouble with charging

“I was very surprised over the power of the machine. The charging is really no trouble at all. The machine lasts the entire day, even without charging. Just open the lid, plug it in and push the button. Close the lid and walk away.” Amanda Sihvonen, Recycling worker, ReTuna working with L25 Electric.

Electric waste and recycling

Use your normal breaks to charge the machine

Going electric is not harder, only different. Good planning will get you a long way. For a normal application, charging will not be needed and in heavier applications you can simply let your machine charge while you take your breaks. Majority of the customers can do a full days work without needing to charge.

Our connection to Volvo Energy

The shift to electrification brings new responsibilities, something we take seriously. From optimizing batteries and charging solutions to repurposing and recycling to ensure as little as possible goes to waste and that our batteries are given a second or even third life. And that’s where Volvo Energy - Volvo Groups newest business area comes in. They are supporting Volvo CE in several ways, including the development of charging infrastructure and power units. And we are jointly engaging in projects to explore solutions for zero-emission worksites.

Discover more about Volvo Energy

Everything you need to know about batteries for construction machines

Volvo CE use different types of lithium-ion batteries for our electric machines to drive the propulsion system. The type of battery is dependent of product and market. For compact machines the battery life time is expected to be equal to machine lift time. Battery health is dependent of many different factors and there are many ways to ensure a long battery life.

Benefits of electric construction machines

With Volvo CE’s electric construction machines you will get the work done in sensitive urban environments and even indoors. They deliver high performance with less noise, fewer vibrations and no CO₂ emissions. We believe that they have the power to make the world a better place. And to help you boost your business. Learn more about the benefits of going electric.

EC230 Electric excavator Hong Kong night Track building

Electric construction starts here

Runtime calculator

Find out electric construction machine’s runtime and which charger to choose

Runtime

Your charging questions answered

How long does the electric wheel loader battery last? How long does it take to charge the battery on the electric compact excavator? What fast charger options are available?

We have the answers. Start by looking at the frequently asked questions or contact your local dealer to find out more about what charging solution is suitable for your needs.

Questions about charging?