Ahead of Delivery, Volvo Upgrades L20 Electric Compact Wheel Loader

Volvo L20 and L25 electric compact wheel loaders
Volvo Construction Equipment

Ahead of deliveries to customers in North America, Volvo Construction Equipment has announced upgrades to its 1.8-ton payload L20 Electric compact wheel loader.

The zero-emissions, low-noise machine gets a faster maximum speed of 12.4 mph, a parallel linkage option, additional operator-friendly features and improved charging.

"As the first commercially available fully electric wheel loaders on the market, the L25 Electric and L20 Electric were already unique. These upgrades take them to another level with improved comfort, productivity and uptime," said Lars Arnold, electromobility product manager, Volvo CE.

Volvo CE began accepting orders for the L20 Electric earlier this year, and all North American customers will receive the updated model.

Comfort and convenience

Operators will experience less noise inside and outside the cab, thanks to a new hydraulic pump and the relocation of the main control valve from the cab to the front frame.

A programmable cab heater option will allow operators in colder climates to choose the times and days of the week they would like to arrive at the jobsite to a pre-warmed and defrosted cab. A more ergonomic joystick also enhances operator comfort.

When working on inclines or in rough terrain, a new electric parking brake with hill-hold improves uptime and safety. A spring-applied and hydraulic-released wet-disc brake replaces the disc brake in the former model, reducing maintenance and downtime, Volvo says.

If used with a 240-volt socket or level 2 public charging station, the improved 6-kilowatt on-board charger can go from zero to a full charge in six hours. An 11.5 kW or 17.3 kW off-board DC fast charger is available.

Volvo’s new electric machine management application enables customers to keep track of charging status, battery level and location to help manage the charging process.

Interested customers can use Volvo’s online configuration tool to spec an electric machine and view the manufacturer’s suggested retail price.