Volvo CE has just announced a new electric material handler that promises increased maintenance intervals and lower operating costs without the need to recharge its batteries … because it hasn’t got any.
The new Volvo EW240 breaks away from conventional diesel-related consumables, doing away with components such as engine oil, filters, DEF injectors, and water separators – and breaks away from conventional EV design by doing away with another critical component: the battery.
Unlike classic electric cars with large, heavy batteries, Volvo’s electric curtain handler frequently operates without the need to refuel or refuel. This is made possible by a permanent connection to the grid (read: a stressed plug), which Volvo says makes it ideal. For indoor use or in continuous, repetitive sorting and recycling applications.
The EW240 provides operators with the same degrees of functionality they are accustomed to with traditional diesel equipment, without the noise, fumes and health hazards related to diesel particulate emissions.
“The EW240 electric manipulator is the ideal sustainable solution for waste and recycling, an industry where circularity is the focus,” says Thomas Nather, SAS Business Project Manager at Volvo CE. “By offering near-silent, zero-emission electric solutions, we are helping our consumers more sustainably and effectively realize their transformation process, while reducing the burden on their operations. “
The biggest challenge with electrifying large, heavy earthmoving apparatus is mathematics. Simply put, it takes many more kilowatts of energy to dig up tons and tons of dirt and rock than it does to send an aerodynamically smooth sedan down a highway. why there is still a trend towards hydrogen and other energy-dense fuels in the structure; However, permanently grid-connected assets, whether stressed or inductive, can address some of the limitations of batteries in workplaces that can support them. If the EW240 is a successful announcement, we can expect Volvo CE to roll out more network-connected features in the coming years.
I’ve been working in and around the automotive industry since the 90’s and have written for several well-known media outlets such as CleanTechnica, The Truth About Cars, Popular Mechanics, and more. You can see me on The Heavy Equipment Podcast with Mike. Switzer, on the AutoHub Show with Ian and Jeff, or chasing my kids around Oak Park, Illinois.