Tips for Operating Electric Equipment in Cold Weather
You may have already seen or read about Volvo compact electric machines completing a variety of tasks on warm-weather jobsites like site development, landscaping, utility work and more. But did you know they’re proving themselves for winter projects too?
Use these tips to help ensure you and your machines stay productive in the cold temperatures longer.
CONSIDER IF THE RUNTIME WILL FIT YOUR APPLICATION.
You may be asking yourself, “Are electric compact machines capable of moving or pushing snow?” And the answer is yes — in the same way diesel machines can. But you need to keep in mind the runtimes for electric machines. For example, the Volvo L20 and L25 Electric compact wheel loaders have an average runtime of 4 to 6 hours, which makes these machines viable options. But if your goal is to move multiple feet of snow over the course of an entire day (or longer), electric equipment just isn’t practical (yet) for these types of jobs.
STORE YOUR ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT INDOORS DURING COLD TEMPS.
Volvo electric machines are rated for a temperature range from 14° Fahrenheit up to 104° Fahrenheit (-10° Celsius to 40° Celsius). This is actually a similar temperature range an electric car lithium-ion battery is rated. Within the above range, the lithium-ion battery’s performance is not affected. That said, these machines can work in much colder temperatures as well — we’ve seen photos of one of our machines at a Swedish ski resort pushing snow at -13° Fahrenheit (-25° Celsius).
To improve your battery performance during the winter, our advice is to store your machines inside overnight so the batteries reach indoor temperatures. Then when you take them out in the cold, the battery racks — which have a heavy mass of about 114 lbs (52 kg) each — will take longer to reach the outdoor ambient temperature, which in turn means it’ll take longer to deplete them.
If you store your machines outside, just note that light frost down to 14° Fahrenheit won’t affect or damage your batteries. In very cold weather, the battery is protected and simply will not power the machine or accept charging until it warms back up. This isn’t a problem as the battery will be okay — and in warmer weather, the battery will be ready to energize the machine.
IF YOU CAN, CHARGE YOUR ELECTRIC MACHINES INDOORS.
The battery is essentially acting like a gas tank to store energy by the movement of lithium ions. When the temperature is cold, the movement of lithium ions will be slower due to higher resistance. Think of it like a river. In warmer temperatures, the water flows more freely – but in freezing temperatures, the water becomes slushy and the water moves much more slowly. This can happen inside your lithium-ion batteries too, so you’ll likely need to give your batteries a little more time to charge during the winter months.
Volvo electric machines come with safeguards in the software to prevent damage to the battery during charging. For example, if it’s extremely cold and someone tries to charge the machine, temperature sensors in the battery will prevent charging if the ambient temperature is out of range.
One final comment we want to share related to charging is regarding our DC fast charger. While it’s certainly an option in cold temperatures, slower charging options like a common household 120-volt network or a 240-volt, Level 2 AC-charging setup are recommended because slow charging doesn’t decrease the lifecycle of the battery quite as much.
USE THE CAB PREHEATER OPTION.
If you work in colder climates, be sure to ask about our new programmable cab heater option. It allows you to easily choose the times and days of the week when you want to get in a prewarmed and defrosted cab. For example, if you want to start working at 7:00 am and it’s frosty outside, you can set the cab heater to start at 6:30 or 6:45 in the morning so it’s warmed and ready when you are. The best part is this preheating function takes place while the machine is plugged in and charging, so you won’t use any of the batteries to warm up your machine before you head out to the cold. Even if you’re storing and charging the machine indoors like we recommend, it’s common for those buildings to get cool overnight, so this feature would still come in handy.
SELECT THE RIGHT ATTACHMENTS.
The front of our electric wheel loaders is the same as on the diesel machines — they have the same linkage and attachment bracket so similar attachments can be used. However, our diesel models feature a high flow pump that allows them to run more aggressive attachments like a snow blower. Volvo electric machines on the other hand don’t have this high flow function. That means standard light material buckets and show pushers — as they’re within the limits of what the machine can handle — are more suitable for electric compact wheel loaders.
ADDITIONAL WINTER TIPS FOR OPERATING ELECTRIC EQIUPMENT
If you operate at night, be aware that all lights and the rotating beacon on Volvo electric wheel loaders are LEDs and draw a very small amount of power from the battery. So if you need the lights for better vision, you shouldn’t worry about them draining the battery.
You’ll also notice these machines require a lot less maintenance than diesel models in cold temperatures. Diesel engines take longer to heat up and get to operating temperature. It’s also harder to start a diesel engine in cold temperatures, water can freeze up in the water separator and so on. On electric machines, there’s nothing to be serviced around the electric parts of the machine other than doing a visual inspection as needed.
Electric machines are also heavier than diesel models, so tire wear might become an issue depending on where and how you’re using these machines. The good news is that we offer optional snow tires for our electric wheel loaders to extend tire life and enhance safety in slippery conditions.
If you’re considering electric heavy equipment for snow removal or other projects in colder climates, talk to your local Volvo dealer to determine if electric makes sense where you work.
By Lars Arnold and Najing Li
