Volvo CE tests electric hybrid wheel loader model

Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) debuted its LX1 prototype electric hybrid wheel loader.

Last year, the company conducted field tests on the LX1 in partnership with Waste Management to gauge its fuel efficiency levels. Based on the results of those tests, the loader achieves about a 50 percent improvement in fuel efficiency when compared with its conventional counterparts, according to Volvo CE. The tests also reported a 35 percent reduction in fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

The California Energy Commission provided more than $1.8 million to fund the LX1 project through its Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology program, Volvo CE says. The program invests up to $100 million per year to support advancements in alternative, renewable fuels and the vehicles powered by them in California.

The LX1 features a driveline that consists of electric drive motors mounted at the wheels, electric-driven hydraulics, a battery energy storage system and a significantly smaller diesel engine. These features enable gains in fuel efficiency, according to Volvo CE. In addition, LX1 provides a reduction in noise pollution compared with its counterparts. The prototype can also perform the same work as a loader that is up to one size larger.

“Volvo CE has long-term plans to develop products and services for electro mobility, including electric hybrids and electric sites,” says Scott Young, electro mobility director at Volvo CE. “Although we believe that there will be a major shift toward electric hybrid technology in the future, our customers wanted improved efficiency now. This requires a balance in our development activities. We are also optimizing more conventional technologies and soft offers, which will compete with hybrid technology for some years. Before we launch a machine like LX1 you can expect to see elements of this design incorporated into our products.”