Volvo launches grid-connected electric material handler

The EW240 Electric Material Handler. (PHOTO: Volvo)

Designed for the waste and recycling industry and said to provide near-silent operation, the new Volvo EW240 Electric Material Handler maintains a “continuous cable connection” to the grid that allows it to “work round the clock without any need to stop for refueling or recharging”.

The EW240 is the latest addition to the company’s range of zero emission machines.

It has an operating weight of 26 t and is intended for use on permanent sites and for indoor environments.

According to the manufacturer, the cable connection to the main electricity grid means the EW240 Electric Material Handler offers “greater productivity and lower operating costs” in static applications, while giving operators the “same performance and control as provided by conventional machine”.

Volvo CE said: “Thanks to electrification, the EW240 Electric Material Handler can go longer between services which means lower maintenance costs compared to a diesel alternative. With no engine-related consumables such as engine oil, filters and water separator, it also reduces downtime and costs.”

The manufacturer added: “With zero exhaust emissions and near silent operation, it is the perfect solution for noise sensitive areas, outdoors or even indoors, low carbon zones and for working during unsociable hours.

“Its quieter operation means less disruption to the operator and to people working on site, as well as to those in the surrounding areas.”

The EW240 Electric Material Handler. (PHOTO: Volvo)

The EW240 also incorporates a Volvo D6 engine that delivers 126 kW of power at 1,800 rpm and offers a maximum travel speed of 20 km an hour.

Available to select customers in Europe, other features of the grid-connected wheeled excavator include a heated and suspended seat in the operator cab, a flat machine hood for better visibility, and rear and side view cameras and LED lights.

It also has a cab that can rise 5 m high for improved worksite visibility.

Thomas Nather, SAS Commercial Project Manager for excavators at Volvo CE, said: “The EW240 Electric Material Handler is the ideal hard-working sustainable solution for waste and recycling – an industry where circularity is in close focus.

“By providing near silent and zero emission electric solutions, we are supporting our customers need to work more sustainably and deliver on their transformation journey as well as lower the cost of their operations.”

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