Gradall Industries showed it electrified concept EL41H4 highway speed wheeled excavator during Conexpo 2023.
Powered by Volvo Penta’s electric driveline, the electric excavator is based on the company’s XL 4100 V traditionally powered machine and is an example of Gradall and Volvo Penta’s collaboration and evolution into the latest electromobility technology.
The concept machine is powered entirely by two Volvo Penta batteries, matched to the duty cycle of the excavator, which fit neatly into the existing engine bay. The electric driveline system from Volvo Penta also includes the complete high voltage system: electric motors, gearboxes, inverters, junction boxes, and cabling.
Gradall says this concept machine can effectively use battery power to transport its own excavator. The system will deliver 94 kWh of energy and recharge to full capacity in under 45 minutes from a 150kW charger.
The partnership between Volvo Penta and Gradall began in 2014 when Volvo Penta became the exclusive supplier of 5 and 8-liter Tier 4 Final engines for Gradall’s diesel-powered telescopic boom excavators. This nearly decade-long partnership made Volvo Penta the obvious choice for the company’s first step into electromobility.
“Gradall is getting ahead of the curve and is investing in the future of electric vehicles," says Devon Thomas, VP of excavators. "We see enormous potential for electric vehicles such as the EL41H4 excavator in urban metro areas where both noise and emissions are sensitive issues.”
Gradall’s partnership with Volvo Penta reflects the company’s desire to provide a seamless, systems approach to their electromobility future.
“We were looking for a major power solutions provider with a good track record to partner with,” says Mike Popovich, president of Gradall. “We see Volvo Penta as a power partner rather than an engine supplier; this is a turnkey solution to them. We didn’t want to be in a situation where we’re mixing and matching from 10 different suppliers and trying to make it all work seamlessly. Volvo Penta’s full systems approach and expertise, together with proven Volvo Group technology, was the ideal solution for us.”
Set to roll out in early 2024, Gradall’s EL41H4 highway speed solution features a telescopic boom mounted next to a separate cab sitting to the rear of a road-going chassis that allows the machine to be independently dispatched to many locations throughout the workday, rather than requiring a low loader for transport.
