Volvo unveils new excavator series

Volvo Construction Equipment, Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, has introduced a new range of excavators designed to provide fuel efficiency, increased productivity, enhanced safety and operator-friendly features.

According to the company, the series represents the most significant update to the Volvo excavator lineup in 20 years. The initial launch includes multiple medium and large excavator models in North America—the ECR145 short swing, EC201, EC230, EC370 and EC500 crawler excavators—with additional models to be unveiled in the next months.

“This new excavator series is the realization of our commitment to our customers. Every design change, innovation and weld were made with our customers’ needs top of mind,” says Scott Young, head of region North America, Volvo CE. “All together, these updates will substantially impact their productivity, uptime, employee satisfaction and, ultimately, their success.”

A newly optimized electro-hydraulic system and other features, including a smart cooling system and engine speed regulation for higher torque at a lower rpm, add up to a 15 percent improvement in fuel efficiency compared with the previous generation, according to Volvo.

Work modes expand to 10 settings, including two specific to power and four specific to automatic ECO modes. A new creep travel mode coupled with boom and arm shock reduction settings are designed to give operators tight command of load and reduce spillage.

“Our customers are looking for ways to increase productivity and reduce expenses, and we deliver on that with these new excavators,” says Sejong Ko, product manager for large excavators at Volvo CE. “Fuel, in particular, is a major expense and the improved fuel efficiency will reduce costs with the added benefit of lowering the environmental impact.”

To enhance safety, the excavators offer Volvo Smart View with Obstacle Detection, combining camera technology and a radar detection system to provide operators 360-degree visibility of the machine’s surroundings.

To learn more about the new Volvo excavator series, visit www.volvoce.com.