Video: Volvo's L120 Electric Wheel Loader | Equipment World

Oct 25, 2024

Volvo CE’s largest electric wheel loader, the 22-ton L120 Electric, will be available to customers in North America in 2025.

To see it before it hits dealer lots, check out the video above. Volvo CE product manager Chris Connolly gave Equipment World a complete overview of the machine during the recent Volvo Days North America event.

The L120 Electric is powered by a 282-kWh lithium-ion battery system with separate motors for propulsion and hydraulics. Initial testing has shown 5 to 9 hours of indicative runtime on a single charge, depending on the use, across most light- and medium-duty tasks. It offers a 4.5- to 5-cubic-yard bucket capacity and 38,667 pound-feet of breakout force.

A 50-kW DC mobile charger will take the machine from empty to full in about six hours, while a 150-kW DC fast charger can charge it from empty to full in two hours.

The separate electric motors for propulsion and hydraulics allow the machine’s electrical drive motors to act as generators during braking. When operators let off the accelerator pedal and decelerate, that braking energy is recouped to charge the battery to extend runtime, Volvo says. It also reduces brake wear and the need for axle oil cooling.

The production model of the L120 Electric will have the same Torque Parallel (TP) style linkage as the diesel L120H. The model on display at Volvo Days North America (shown in the video) was an earlier iteration of the machine.

The L120 Electric also gets the same upgraded cab as the L120H diesel, which includes electrohydraulic controls and Volvo’s latest 12-inch Copilot tablet. Additional standard features include on-board weighing and auto bucket-leveling functions.

The electric loader is compatible with a range of Volvo attachments, such as buckets, forks, grapples, brooms and snowplows.