Building a brighter future at Hillhead 2022

SMT GB show how Volvo Electric machines offer a greener alternative in a variety of applications

PLACED in mock real-world settings, SMT GB demonstrated to Hillhead stand visitors how the newly expanded Volvo Electric range offers a practical and environmentally considerate alternative for a wide variety of applications.

For the first time in Great Britain, visitors to the SMT GB stand had the opportunity to see the all-new Volvo ECR18 Electric and ECR25 Electric compact excavators in action. Not only was the L25 Electric compact wheel loader also displayed on the stand, but it played an instrumental part in the stand’s construction and breakdown, which greatly lowered the standard carbon cost of SMT GB attending Hillhead.

A Volvo fast charger provided power for all of the electric machines displayed on the SMT GB stand, which can charge any of the machines in the Volvo Electric range from 20% to 80% in as little as one hour.

Power for both the SMT GB stand and Volvo fast charger was provided by a low-emission and high-efficiency Volvo Penta generator and industrial battery pack, which was run entirely on HVO fuel throughout the stand’s construction, all three days of the show, and post-show breakdown. Using HVO fuel to power the stand and charger reduced SMT GB’s Hillhead carbon cost even further, with no penalties to power output incurred or supply interruptions experienced.

Visitors to the SMT GB Hillhead stand had the opportunity to see all three electric machines working in mock real-world applications during live demo shows, which took place daily.

The demo shows started with a showcase of the Volvo ECR25 Electric compact excavator, which was working in a mock indoor waste-sorting facility. Fitted with a sorting grab attachment, the machine made short and silent work of sorting a variety of materials into bins, and even ‘handed’ several lucky members of the demo show audience free merchandise items.

In real-world applications, the 2.7-tonne ECR25 Electric is well suited to indoor and subterranean work due to the greatly reduced noise and zero tailpipe emission output of the machine, which negates the requirement for costly and bulky air-ventilation equipment.

The next machine to be showcased was the Volvo L25 Electric wheel loader, which was demonstrated working in a mock farm setting. Fitted with a fork attachment, the machine demonstrated its ease of operation, speed, and stability by picking up and manoeuvring a large chicken coop within the confined demonstration area at the front of the stand. Once the coop was placed safely back on the ground, SMT GB chief executive officer Nick Allen provided the demo show audience with a sweet treat by handing out SMT-branded Cadbury’s Crème Eggs.

Supporting a number of attachments and requiring no hazardous oils or substances to function, the new 3.5-tonne L25 Electric wheel loader is ideal for use around livestock or on protected ground.

Working in a mock landscaping and car charger installation application on the SMT GB stand, the Volvo ECR18 Electric compact excavator demonstrated its suitability for working in urban environments and in other settings requiring strict noise control.

Much like the larger ECR25 Electric, the zero tailpipe emission and lower noise output of the Volvo Electric excavator range delivers the same breakout and tearout forces as the equivalent internal combustion engine-powered machines but provides the added advantage of allowing operators to work outside of the standard hours stipulated for urban environments.

Whilst the reduction in noise is a welcome benefit for operators of any of the machines in the Volvo Electric range, in-cab comfort is further enhanced thanks to a significant reduction in the vibrations produced by all of the machines in the range. However, the benefits of Volvo Electric machine ownership extend far beyond improved in-cab comfort, as the maintenance costs and downtime requirements are greatly reduced from that of comparable diesel-powered equivalent machines, as the Volvo Electric range requires neither engine oil nor filters in order to function.

Aside from the reduced maintenance and downtime requirements, the total cost of ownership for any of the machines in the Volvo Electric range is lowered even further, as charging costs represent a fraction of the fuel costs required to operate an equivalent diesel-powered machine. Managing carbon emissions generated on site is also made much easier, thanks to the zero tailpipe emission output of every machine.