Volvo Construction Equipment will test the capabilities of its EC230 Electric excavator in North America through a pilot project with WM (formerly Waste Management).
WM will test the mid-size 23-ton electric excavator at a WM facility on the East Coast.
The pilot project will see an EC230 Electric performing the same tasks normally tackled by diesel excavators in waste applications.
WM will track data during the project and share feedback with Volvo CE.
The WM partnership kicks off several real-world pilot projects of the mid-size electric excavator in various applications on the North American power grid.
The pilot project was announced at Waste Expo in Louisiana and ACT Expo in California, where attendees could see an EC230 Electric in person.
“This is the first pilot in North America, but the EC230 Electric excavator has been thoroughly tested by customers overseas, and in each case, it has offered the same performance as its diesel equivalent with the added benefit of no direct emissions,” said Stephen Roy, President of Region North America, Volvo CE.
“We’re excited to work with WM on a project that aligns with both of our organizations’ values of being good environmental stewards.”
WM’s commitment to alternative fuels
For more than 20 years, WM has been committed to alternative fuel options, including compressed natural gas and electric vehicles as well as other technologies to help reduce overall emissions.
WM has some of the most ambitious sustainability goals in its industry, calling for a 42 per cent reduction of its overall Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 2032: a target aligned with the Paris Agreement.
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“WM has a long track record of incorporating alternative fuels into our operations, and we’re exploring technologies like electric that support our mission to reduce emissions,” said Bryan Tindell, Vice President of disposal operations at WM.
“We have a longstanding relationship with Volvo CE when it comes to working toward sustainable solutions related to alternative fuels and energy sources. This electric excavator is expected to improve machine uptime and increase productivity, and our pilot could help map out the next steps for implementing additional electric and other sustainable technologies into our heavy equipment fleet.”
Volvo CE’s EC230 Electric
The 23-ton EC230 Electric excavator is a general-purpose machine designed to run in the same applications as a similar-size diesel excavator, including extraction, earthmoving and grading for site preparation, as well as waste and scrap handling.
The electric excavator has the same digging forces and lifting capacities as its diesel equivalent in the Volvo CE lineup, and it supports the same attachments and services. The main difference is that it is powered by batteries. The lack of an engine results in zero direct emissions, less noise, reduced maintenance and lower total cost of ownership.
When the EC230 Electric excavator becomes commercially available, it will join the Volvo CE six-machine lineup of electric machines.
“Electric construction equipment thus far has mostly been compact models, but to make the kind of progress we want for a more sustainable future, larger machines need to be part of the equation,” Roy said. “Volvo CE is proud to be leading the industry into that future along with sustainability driven companies like WM.”
Volvo CE plans to make the EC230 Electric commercially available in North America in 2024.
