Electric Demolition Excavator Gives Robles1 a New Edge

The Robles1 team has been happy with the performance of the EC18 Electric compact excavator for indoor demo work.

Tough demolition is the heart and soul of Robles1, a family-owned business in Texas with offices in San Antonio, Austin and El Paso. The team at Robles1 works hard to tackle a wide range of projects, including complete, structural, selective and interior demolition.

This commitment to hard work and quality service began in the 1960s when Jesús Robles started a demolition company. He taught several of his sons the business as they were growing up. In 2008, his son Saul started his own demolition company and now Saul’s son, Adam, is the director of operations, managing the south/central Texas team out of San Antonio.

As a third-generation demolition expert working alongside his parents, Adam carries on his family’s tradition of finding smart ways to make safe, efficient work of tough projects. That’s what led him to the company’s first-ever electric compact excavator — a Volvo EC18 Electric.

“Our bread and butter is interior demolition work,” Adam says. “That’s what we specialize in. We do the stuff nobody else wants to do. The hard plaster, the concrete openings, the shoring of structural openings — work that can be very dangerous. Most of the other interior demo guys aren’t equipped with a fleet of electric machines that keep emissions down. We are, and that sets us apart.”

In the interior demolition world, safety inspectors are putting more focus on dust control and emissions in the workplace. That means proper airflow and ventilation are essential.

“A lot of times, we don't have that luxury because we're the first ones in,” Adam says. “By the time we get there, we're dealing with dust, moldy grounds, dampness and things like that. It’s our job to contain it, so that’s why we bring in machines like the EC18 Electric to do the work.”

By going electric, Robles1 has been able to cut emissions so they can continue working more efficiently throughout the day.

In the past, the team used diesel machines with scrubbers to filter the air. Everyone inside wore carbon monoxide testers, and when the testers went off, the machines had to stop and everyone had to go outside for 30 to 45 minutes while the air inside refreshed. Only then could the team get back to work; but once the carbon monoxide levels spiked again, another break was in order.

“We weren’t being as efficient as we could be,” Adam says. “This Volvo electric excavator — paired with the other electric support equipment we use — helps get us out of that pinch.”

Electric machines are giving Adam and his San Antonio team more ways to keep their projects moving and on time.

“We also use sherpas, which are electric stand-on skid steers, to haul out the material,” he explains. “Volvo included an amazing demolition guarding package on our electric excavator so we can safely clear out the trash chutes where we funnel and sort the material we’re tearing out. It also helps prevent damage to our new machine. And with an enclosed cab, the air quality for our operators is better so they can be in that environment much longer.”

The Volvo EC18 Electric moves plaster blocks, steel and other materials that come down the trash chute and separates the piles for recycling.

“We’re working it hard,” Adam says. “Everything it lifts is heavy and bulky.”

So how does the battery of the EC18 Electric hold up in tough conditions like these?

“Even on our hardest days, the battery lasts about four and a half hours,” he says.

That can leave them with half a day to go, but in those situations, they give it a quick 45-minute charge over the lunch break with a DC fast charger. The team has also built a case for the charger and a hook to easily pick it up and move it around. When the day is done, they recharge the excavator on a standard 120-volt outlet overnight to bring it back to full for the next day’s work.

“One thing I’ve been most impressed by with our EC18 Electric is that it still has the same power as the diesel version,” Adam says. “Some electric machines feel slower, but this one has the speed and strength for the duration of the battery charge. It can be at 30% charge or less and still have full power the whole time — it never struggles.”

In lieu of purchasing the EC18 Electric outright, Robles1 chose to lease the new excavator for three years through Volvo Financial Services with the assistance of their local Volvo dealer, ROMCO. Adam says the agreement allows him and his crew to try out the capabilities of the electric machine before potentially committing to purchasing one. So far, he feels confident that once the lease is up, they’ll be in the market for another Volvo EC18 Electric, or a newer model if it’s the right fit.

With electric machines now in their arsenal, Robles1 is equipped to take on more jobs that will help them move their business forward — a new generation of demolition equipment Adam’s grandfather would be proud of.