Volvo customer tests electric loader

Leick Baumschulen, a tree farm and landscaping business in Germany, is the first customer to test Volvo Construction Equipment’s (CE) L25 Electric compact wheeled loader.

The company, which carries out a range of jobs including pallet handling, material loading, grading and sweeping, has been participating in the model’s pilot phase of testing, prior to it becoming available for general sale in mid-2020.

Paolo Mannesi, Volvo CE global compact wheel loader product manager, said, “This variety of tasks makes it the perfect real-world scenario for us to test our new electric compact wheel loader together with our customer.”

Powered by lithium-ion batteries, Volvo CE said the L25 Electric loader can operate regular applications, including lift infrastructure work, gardening, landscaping and agriculture, for an eight hour working shift on a single charge. The model also incorporates two electric motors, one for the drivetrain and one for the hydraulics.

Speaking of the L25, Christoph Leick, co-owner of Leick Baumschulen, said, “The machine requires less maintenance as it has no engine – we don’t need to check the engine oil and coolant every day or refill fuel. We simply charge it overnight, which is very easy. 

“The machine operates like a conventional wheel loader, but with improved comfort for the driver and surroundings – it feels similar when it comes to power but is quieter has less vibration, less maintenance and is emission-free locally.”

The L25 compact loader was launched alongside its ECR25 electric excavator at Bauma in Germany earlier this year.

Volvo CE previously said that, by mid-2020, it will launch a range of electric compact excavators (EC15 to EC27) and wheeled loaders (L20 to L28) and stop new diesel engine-based development of these models.