Volvo CE debuts electric hybrid wheel loader prototype
Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) unveiled 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 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. “Before we launch a machine like LX1 you can expect to see elements of this design incorporated into our products.”