Volvo’s 20-metric-ton electric wheel loader, the L120 Electric, debuted in 2024 and recently got a variety of upgrades, the company says.
Volvo lists the following improvements:
- New electric brake valve to enhance the responsive braking system. The RB system assists deceleration while recouping up to 15% of energy to extend runtime and reduce brake wear. The new valve enables full responsive braking “even when the battery's state of charge is high or temperatures are extreme,” the company says.
- Rimpull control for added traction in slippery conditions.
- New optional package for waste-handling and recycling operations with specialized cab air pre-cleaner and all-around machine guarding.
Volvo says its L120 Electric can get 5 to 9 hours of runtime for light to medium-duty tasks and that it can achieve the same or better performance than its diesel counterpart. It has a lift capacity of 13,228 pounds.
Its battery capacity is 282 kWh, and bucket capacity is 4.3 to 7.2 cubic yards.
Working in Harsh Climate
The L120 Electric by Volvo's PU500 mobile charger on a test site in Sweden's extreme cold.Volvo CE
"So far it's been working well — very well, actually," says Fredrik Grönberg, maintenance manager at Fiskarheden Trävaru AB, which is testing the loader.
The sawmill had used a diesel-powered wheel loader to load sawdust and wood chips. But at the beginning of this year, it began testing an L120 Electric in collaboration with Volvo CE and Swecon.
"It's very exciting to run this test in the middle of winter, with snow and sub-zero temperatures,” Grönberg said. “These are exactly the real-world conditions needed to get an honest picture of how electric machines perform in practice."
Along with the bitter cold, the loader is operated by about 30 different workers. They make a practice of connecting the loader to Volvo’s PU500 mobile charger when battery levels drop below 50%.
The test focuses on functionality, efficiency and sustainability, Volvo says.
One advantage is the quick start of the L120 Electric, which is much faster than it would take to warm up a diesel loader, Grönberg says. “The zero emissions and low operating and maintenance costs of the electric machine are, of course, also major advantages."
