Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) welcomed nearly 1,000 customers and dealers to its North American headquarters in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, September 15-20, 2024, for Volvo Days.
The event showcased dozens of new and existing products in conventional and electric power across the company’s lineup. Attendees also enjoyed a nighttime machine show with 500 drones lighting up the sky, factory tours, and hands-on experience with machines and services.
Several new products were introduced to the North American market, including the SD125 soil compactor, L120 electric mid-size wheel loader, and new-generation EC230 electric mid-size excavator.
The event also provided an opportunity for firsthand experience with the new series of Volvo excavators introduced earlier this year. The series includes several mid-size and large models, with more to be introduced in the coming months, and represents the biggest update to the Volvo CE excavator lineup in two decades.
In all, more than 65 machines across the Volvo CE product lineup were on display, as well as a variety of technology solutions. That included crawler and wheeled excavators; wheel loaders; compaction machines; compact equipment; electric and charging options; productivity solutions and telematics; articulated and rigid trucks; and demolition, scrap, and recycling options.
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According to Volvo, the event outpaced ConEXPO in the number of machines, services, and subject experts on one site.
“It’s critical that we give customers comprehensive solutions for their projects,” said Scott Young, Head of Region North America, Volvo CE. “And that means pairing the right machines with the right services to help them optimize their safety, productivity, and uptime.”
Two of the products spotlighted were mid-size electric machines — the all-new L120 electric wheel loader and the new-generation EC230 electric excavator.
"These larger, battery-electric models mark a significant advancement toward zero-emission solutions that can help businesses and government fleets meet sustainability and productivity goals,” said Dr. Ray Gallant, Vice President — Sustainability and Productivity Services, Volvo CE. “The electric excavator and wheel loader offer comparable performance to their diesel counterparts but with zero emissions, reduced noise, and lower maintenance costs.”
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The L120 electric wheel loader is a 22-ton machine with 6-ton lifting capacity and a recommended rehandling bucket capacity of 5 cubic yards.
The machine’s 282-kWh lithium-ion battery system can run for five to nine hours on a single charge, depending on the application. Charging options include a 50-kW DC mobile charger that will charge the machine from empty to full in about six hours or a 150-kW DC fast charger that can charge it from empty to full in two hours.
The 23-ton EC230 electric is a general-purpose crawler excavator that first launched in early 2023. The updated version incorporates an improved battery for longer runtime, as well as the updated cab and styling in Volvo’s latest series of excavators.
North American deliveries of both electric machines are expected to begin in 2025.
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Volvo also announced the expansion of its compaction range with the new SD125 soil compactor — a timely introduction as the Shippensburg production site enters its 50th year of compaction engineering and manufacturing.
The 12-ton machine, the largest model in Volvo’s soil compaction lineup, targets medium- to heavy-duty compaction jobs.
The SD125 features an 84-inch smooth-drum and operating weight of 26,565 pounds. Its specifications are similar to the existing SD115 but with a 0.2-inch thicker drum shell and a heavier outer eccentric weight. That results in an additional 935 pounds of mass on the drum, increasing the static load and eccentric force for a different amplitude profile, Volvo said.
As terrain and material depths change, a switch on the SD125 adjusts dynamic drum forces. Another switch adjusts the two drum frequencies to compensate for changing conditions, and a five-frequency feature is available as an option to further boost versatility and performance.
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The additional static weight on the drum frame enhances stability and performance with the ability to negotiate 35 percent slopes, the company said. The angled frame allows higher clearance in the approach to steep slopes and while loading, eliminating the possibility of damaging the surface or the machine.
Additional features on the SD125 include:
- Heavy-duty axle integrated into the drivetrain for an efficient rear wheel drive system
- Hydraulically operated engine cooling fan that runs only when needed, reducing fuel consumption
- Lower noise levels for operator comfort
- Optional fan reverse for cleaning out the coolers
- Long-life coolant to protect the machine for up to 6,000 hours
- Remote hydraulic test ports that can be configured to enable quick and easy hydraulic checkpoints without having to open the system
- Emergency stop system that shuts down the engine, applies the brakes, and stops the machine’s movement if the operator rises from the seat for more than five seconds during operation
The SD125 will be available for order in North America during the first half of 2025.
