For off-grid operators who have to use a diesel generator to charge battery-powered machinery, there may now be an alternative.
Volvo Construction Equipment has developed a mobile charger designed to provide flexible and lasting power to remote locations or sites with weak grid access.
The transportable 600V Power Unit, specifically for larger machines by Volvo CE, is being offered only to selected customers at this stage, such as Skanska in Sweden.
Skanska has a unit on Sweden’s largest fossil free worksite in the Slakthusområdet (meat-packing) district of Stockholm to recharge a 23-tonne VolvoEC230 Electric excavator.
Elodie Guyot, Volvo CE head of electromobility sales Europe, said: “Electric machines are one part of the puzzle when it comes to establishing fully fossil-free worksites – another is reliable charging solutions. Our Power Unit is the next step in our ambition to decarbonize the construction industry, helping customers comply with environmental regulations while ensuring the steady and efficient supply of power they need to get the job done.”
Volvo Energy head of direct sales Niklas Thulin added: "The Power Unit is a great example of the solutions we are exploring together with Volvo CE. Repurposing batteries is key to circularity and being able to give battery packs a second life in new products, which in themselves enable charging or integration of renewable energy, brings tangible sustainability and economic values."