Construction equipment manufacturer Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) has released information on the first use of its all-electric L120 Electric large wheel loader in Europe. The electric construction vehicle is being used in Munich to build an underground train station beneath the historic German city centre.
The L120 Electric is the first electric wheel loader to be launched on the European market with a lifting capacity of 6 tons. The Volvo construction vehicle is operating under exceptional conditions. A connecting tunnel to the existing subway at Munich’s main city square, Marienplatz, is currently being dug at a depth of 27 meters, under compressed air to prevent groundwater from seeping in.
Reinhold Boiger, Senior Site Manager Tunnelling of ARGE Marienhof, explains: “Nobody is even allowed in the pressurised area without medical clearance. Only electrically powered equipment may be used under these conditions. Any diesel machine would be an incalculable risk.”
The vehicle, which weighs over 20 tons, was brought down by crane with millimetre precision, through a tightly timed logistical bottleneck in the middle of Munich’s historic city centre.
“The challenge was clear: a wheel loader that runs emission-free, doesn’t need any cables and delivers enough power – underground and under pressure,” says Jascha Henjes, Key Account Manager at Volvo CE. “This is not a standard construction site. You need special solutions here, and we have delivered them with the L120 Electric.”
The L120 Electric matches the powerful performance of its diesel counterpart and offers up to eight hours of battery operation depending on the application. The electric wheel loader transports excavated material from the tunnel head to the skip for transport. The electric motor means the vehicle can operate quietly in the middle of the city, and the lack of emissions eliminates the need for air filtration. An additional improvement on diesel construction vehicles is that the electrically powered vehicle also provides smoother and quieter operation for workers on the site.
The benefits of electric vehicles for underground work have long since been discovered by mining companies. Emissions underground provide obvious drawbacks in enclosed spaces for those working at the site.
volvoce.com
