Volvo CE upgrades electric wheel loaders

Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE), which has North American offices in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, says it has upgraded its zero-emissions, low-noise L20 and L25 Electric compact wheel loaders with enhanced uptime, versatility and operator comfort in mind.

All North American customers will receive the updated L25 and L20 Electric models.

The updates include increasing the maximum speed to 12.4 mph, the option to include a parallel linkage that delivers high breakout torque in various applications, additional operator-friendly features and improved charging.

“As the first commercially available, fully electric wheel loaders on the market, the L25 Electric and L20 Electric were already unique,” Volvo CE Electromobility Product Manager Lars Arnold says. “These upgrades take them to another level with improved comfort, productivity and uptime.”

Both the L20 and L25 offer zero exhaust emissions, lower noise and similar performance compared with diesel equivalents.

The upgrades include lower noise levels inside and outside the cab because designers added a new hydraulic pump, relocating the main control valve from the cab to the front frame.

Additionally, operators in colder climates might appreciate the new programmable cab heater option, which allows them to choose the times and days of the week when they would like to step into a prewarmed, defrosted cab.

Operator comfort also is enhanced by a more ergonomic joystick with the latest design on the market.

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A new electric parking brake improves uptime with hill-hold functionality, a convenient automatic feature for operators working on inclines or rough terrain. The new spring-applied, hydraulic-released wet-disc brake, which replaces the disc brake in the old model, eliminates related maintenance costs and machine downtime.

The time it takes to achieve a full charge has been reduced to six hours with the 6-kilowatt (kW) on-board charger if used with a 240-volt socket or Level 2 public charging station. Speedier charging is available with optional off-board 11.6 kW- or 17.4 kW-DC fast chargers. When this is combined with the newly launched electric machine management application, customers can boost uptime by keeping track of charging status, battery level and location to help manage the charging process more efficiently.

Curious customers also can configure and get a quote on a wheel loader from Volvo CE.

Volvo CE recently launched an online tool that allows customers to configure an electric machine to their liking and see the suggested retail price.

The L25 Electric compact wheel loader was unveiled in 2019, and customer shipments began in Europe in the spring of 2020 and in North America this past summer. Volvo CE began accepting orders for the L20 Electric earlier this year, and North American deliveries start soon.