Electric construction machine in recreation

Electric excavator working with recreation at a ski resort

Volvo electric construction equipment

Electric recreation and parks

Powerful construction equipment for electric recreation

Recreation provides the opportunity to step back, focus on our wellbeing and enjoy some leisure time. We believe it plays an essential part in maintaining healthy and fulfilling lives – in whatever form it takes, whether sports, culture or entertainment.

We also believe that it is important to apply as light a carbon footprint as possible when it comes to maintaining the recreation industry. Reduced emissions, lower noise and a more sustainable approach offer natural benefits when it comes to preserving both our planet and our health and wellbeing.

That is why zero emission solutions are so vital for maintenance and development work within the recreation, leisure, tourism and hospitality sectors. Electric construction machines are already proving their potential across a variety of projects from ski resorts to golf courses, from vineyards to parks and zoos.

Our electric construction equipment provides zero emissions, near silence and a more comfortable operation – ensuring not only a better place to work for those driving the machines but also a more pleasant environment for those living and playing nearby. These advantages open up new business opportunities for anyone looking to carry out work within the recreation industry – but with a reduced carbon output.

With battery powered tools and equipment increasingly common in recreation applications, it is now larger zero emission solutions that are proving their potential. Electric wheel loaders and excavators provide all the performance of their diesel counterparts without impacting the environment.

Great for tasks like grading, earthmoving, digging and loading material, these construction machines no longer need to rely on diesel power to get the bigger jobs done. And with a range of charging solutions to match the application and location, finding the power to operate them is easier than you think.

So whether it is ensuring a more sustainable approach to the maintenance of mountain bike tracks or creating a more peaceful environment in amusement parks, electric machines are the ideal solution.

Electric construction at remote ski resort

Delivering zero emission construction is possible in even the most dramatic of locations. An ECR25 Electric excavator proved instrumental in rebuilding one of the longest cable car routes in the world: on the summit of the iconic Schilthorn in the Swiss Alps. At an altitude of almost 3,000 meters, the near silent electric machine successfully worked on excavating and creating the foundations for a new station as part of the impressive ski resort. The new cable route, operated by Schilthornbahn AG, will increase passenger capacity and reduce travel time. Proving that electric solutions are not only capable of operating in busy urban locations and for indoor works, this project shows the versatility of zero emissions solutions to deliver power and performance in demanding applications, such as remote ski resorts.

Easy to charge electric excavator at ski resorts

Easy access to charging at ski resorts

Like with many ski resorts, the Schilthorn project benefited from ready access to electricity via the ski lift. Whenever the ECR25 Electric excavator needed a longer charge, like at the end of the day, it was easily plugged into the cable car’s existing power supply. What is more the cable car draws 100% of its energy from hydropower generated in the nearby Lauterbrunnen valley. This makes it a far more sustainable choice than diesel in more ways than one, as it also avoids the need to transport diesel up the mountain to fuel a fossil-powered machine up. And if required during the project, the on-board fast charger can provide operators with a quick top up of energy so the electric excavator can get back to the tasks in hand.

Delivering zero emission operation in cold climates

Another advantage of electric construction equipment is its ability to work in colder climates. Operators on this Alpine project reported that they could start the machine up immediately, unlike its diesel counterparts which can take up to an hour to start. For ski resorts such as this, another potential challenge with traditional diesel machines is that they can encounter problems with engines being able to function at altitude, due to the thin air and the cold. But with an electrically powered solution like the ECR25 Electric excavator, this challenge is eliminated entirely. This offers businesses like construction specialist Ghelma AG Baubetriebe, responsible for the Schilthorn project, an added motivation to make the switch from diesel to electric.

Landscaping at eden

Electric landscaping

Battery electric construction equipment working at ski resort Hammarbybacken

Moving closer to fossil free ski resorts

Proving that decarbonization at a ski resort possible, a fleet of battery electric equipment including snow groomer, snow mobiles and construction machines have been delivering zero emission operation on one of Sweden’s largest ski companies, SkiStar’s ski resort in Stockholm, Hammarbybacken. This project showcases the benefits of working with near silent and zero emission construction machines in a tourist area where people want to enjoy what nature has to offer. Furthermore, remote locations do not pose a challenge when these electric solutions are powered by a mobile battery energy storage system like Volvo Energy’s BESS - designed to charge larger equipment and trucks.

Electric Wheel loader at ski resort

Building a mountain bike track with zero emissions

Volvo’s zero exhaust emission solutions have been helping to create a 40km/h mountain coaster and mountain bike track at SkiStar’s resort in Sälen, Sweden - allowing the project is completed as sustainably as possible. The addition of biking trails ensures that there is always plenty of outdoor activities for visitors to enjoy throughout the year, regardless of whether there is winter snow on the ski slopes. By employing electric machines to maintain this all-encompassing tourist attraction, we are giving back to our natural environment, that gives so much to us as human beings.

Electric wheel loader working at national park

Maryland National Capital Park in the suburbs of Washington DC has an ambitious plan to adopt a more sustainable approach to the upkeep of the grounds. This is no easy task given the park comprises 26,000 acres of parkland and more than 165 miles of trails. Driven not only by a desire to protect our planet, but also motivated by the demands of the public and elected officials, the park has now introduced initiatives such as adding electric construction machines to its fleet. They include the zero exhaust emission L25 Electric wheel loader, which has been easily integrated thanks to the ease of charging, maintenance and training.

Electric construction helping to decarbonize motorsport

Just like construction, the world of motorsport needs to challenge the traditional way of thinking and adopt more sustainable practices. This was the motivation behind our partnership with the World Rallycross Championship. Together we are helping to push the boundaries for high-performing electromobility by putting electric construction equipment to the test in the building and maintenance of the World RX racetracks around the world. The electric race series is showcasing that full-throttle fun can be delivered with a more sustainable approach.

Electric excavators are perfect for work at golf clubs

Electric excavator driving awareness on golf club

ROMCO Equipment, a Volvo construction equipment dealer, recently participated in the BuildWitt Dirt World Open at Golf Club of Houston. The putter head, built by Werk-Brau, was a hit, especially on a quiet Electric compact excavator as ECR18 Electric that kept the nerves down and helped them focus on a straight putt. It was a great way to keep “driving” awareness of the electric construction equipment that are perfect for working on golf clubs since they don’t disturb the players’ concentration with noise.

Sustainability and tourism

Electric excavator working on a golf club

Near silence for golfing

Recreational activities such as golf courses are the perfect locations to benefit from zero emission operation. With no exhaust fumes and less noise, they provide minimal impact on the surrounding environment - ensuring that they can operate even during those crucial moments when peace and quiet needs to be maintained.

Sustainable vineyards

Quality vineyards like Sandalford Winery understand the need to respect nature. So it was an easy choice to make the switch to use the L25 Electric wheel loader to carry out day-to-day tasks, as part of a wider scope of sustainability initiatives. The result is great performance with a circular economy approach and minimal environmental impact.

Electric construction equipment at a city zoo

Electric construction at zoo

Animals need peaceful environments just as much as us humans. Electric operation provides the tranquillity that is needed to ensure there is no disturbance to animals at Riga Zoo in Latvia. In addition, the L25 Electric had the power to complete all the tasks it needed to, working continuously for up to six hours, almost the entire working day.

Amusement parks

The near silence of electric construction equipment makes it an ideal solution for maintenance and building tasks in amusement parks. This not only helps to preserve a recreational environment for visitors, but it is especially important for families and young people, who will also benefit from the lack of exhaust fumes.

Our electric construction equipment

EC230 Electric

ECR25 Electric

L120 Electric

L20 Electric

Zero emission construction

Why go electric?

Benefits with electric construction equipment in recreation

Benefits of electric within recreation

The many varied segments within the recreation industry have one thing in common: people. Whether it is golf courses or ski resorts, vineyards or zoos, you will always find people. This is why zero emission solutions play such a vital role in maintaining the health and well-being of everyone nearby. Noise pollution poses a serious health hazard, but with electric wheel loaders and electric excavators there is very little noise to create any disturbance. This means work can continue while people enjoy their recreational activities. This is just one major benefit. There are many more advantages besides.

Discover more benefits with electric construction

Charging in recreation

There are a number of charging solutions available to help you complete a full working day, no matter the task in hand. You have the ability to plug in overnight at the end of a shift or if that is not enough, you can use a fast charger during your breaks. And if working in a remote location or somewhere with weak grid access, there is the potential to use a mobile power bank such as the PU40 or PU500 battery energy storage systems - making it possible to operate almost anywhere.

Charging construction equipment

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Electric construction equipment - for all applications

Waste and recycling

Electric waste and recycling

The circular economy approach within most waste and recycling applications lends itself well to the introduction of electric construction equipment. With the power and versatility to adapt to a variety of demanding tasks - with a quick change of attachment - zero emission solutions are proving just as capable as diesel but with the added benefits of zero exhaust fumes and a more pleasant working environment.

Electric waste and recycling

Agriculture

Electric agriculture

Agriculture plays a big role in our ability to survive and thrive. Electric construction equipment, with its more sustainable operation, allows us to give back to the nature that feeds us by working with minimal carbon impact. By putting zero emission industrial solutions to work, we can secure a better environment for humans, animals and even in the crops in the ground.

Electric agriculture

Utility

Electric utility works

Utility projects are the lifeblood of hard working cities. They allow us access to water, electricity and power. But maintaining these urban assets need not come at the cost of our planet. That is why we recommend taking advantage of the power of zero emissions solutions to help build more sustainable - while still productive and fully functioning - cities, for us and generations to come.

Electric utility works