Volvo Construction Equipment (CE) has begun customer testing of its first EC500 Electric pre-build machine in Norway, as it develops a battery and grid-powered version of its 50-tonne class excavator.
Equipped with both battery and grid-connected capability, including a 35m cable reel, the machine is being tested in real-world applications as the manufacturer works with customers to refine the final product.
The EC500 Electric is a 50-tonne class electric excavator designed to deliver the same performance as the conventional EC500, while offering electric operation through both grid connection and onboard battery power. It has been developed to introduce a flexible electric power system, with the ability to run on onboard battery power or in combination with a grid connection supported by the battery system.
Connected to the grid and supported by its onboard battery system, the machine has a battery capacity that enables two to three hours of working, depending on application and operating conditions, while also supporting intelligent grid energy management. The intelligent electric system is designed to adapt to various grid conditions on a 400V base, helping customers manage site power availability while reducing the demands placed on job site power infrastructure.
With onboard battery capacity, the EC500 Electric can move, load and unload, relocate for blasting or continue working without a grid connection, helping operations stay productive when access to power is restricted. Combined with intelligent grid energy management, the battery system can also support peak shaving and adapt to varying grid conditions, reducing the need for high-capacity grid infrastructure and helping lower investment costs while maintaining the performance required from a 50-tonne class machine.
Customer input is central to the development of the machine. By testing it in live working environments, Volvo CE says it is able to gather feedback on machine behaviour, performance, charging and grid connection, operator experience and site integration, ensuring the machine is developed around the day-to-day requirements of customers as well as technical considerations.
The machine is currently being put to work across a range of customer applications, including quarrying, road building and tunnel projects, with insights from the Norwegian testing programme feeding directly into the final stages of development.
“This is an important milestone in the development of our electric excavator offering. By testing the EC500 Electric pre-build machine together with customers in real applications, we are building the product around the realities of the job site – helping us to strengthen machine reliability and provide even more quality assurance. The feedback we receive from Norway will be invaluable as we continue to develop a high-performance electric solution designed to achieve optimum results in demanding applications,” says a Volvo CE spokesperson.
Images: Volvo CE
