Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) announced today the results of a pilot project testing the ECR25 Electric compact excavator and L25 Electric compact wheel loader in North America. Remarks were provided at a press event in Los Angeles alongside officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) and customers who tested the machines.

For nearly a year, Volvo CE has been testing its battery-powered ECR25 Electric compact excavator and L25 Electric compact wheel loader with multiple customers on jobsites in Southern California with the goal of accelerating the deployment of zero-emission technologies for off-road vehicles. Both machines are zero-emission solutions that meet the high-performance standards of construction customers in a variety of applications, as proven through the recent testing scenarios. An Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant administered by the South Coast AQMD provided funding for the project.

The pilot results come on the cusp of the company’s full roll-out of electric machines in these sizes, with customer deliveries of the ECR25 Electric expected in January 2022 and both units available throughout North America early in 2022. The company is the first to commercialize dedicated electric machines at the larger end of the compact size range.

“Our customer’s response to these machines validates that there is not only a desire for these types of machines in North America but a pull in many markets,” said Stephen Roy, President of Region North America, Volvo CE. “This just adds further momentum to the Volvo vision of offering machines that align with Science Based Targets and our overall commitment to decarbonization.”