Zurich aims to be a sustainable city in a country that already has strict air pollution directives in place, such as requiring particulate filters for diesel engines and a roadmap for electromobility.
Two Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) machines, the L25 Electric compact wheel loader and the ECR25 Electric compact excavator, are now working in Zurich, where low emissions and low noise are becoming a prerequisite for build work.
The L25 Electric compact wheel loader is working for Eberhard, a company that works in building and environmental services, and offers civil engineering, deconstruction, recycling, and the remediation of contaminated sites. From recycling concrete rubble in the 1980s to building the first soil washing plant for contaminated soil in the 1990s, the largest in Switzerland, protecting the environment has always been important to Eberhard.
Today, the company is building a plant for processing mixed demolition material and has developed zirkulit, an environmentally friendly concrete. “We are investing a lot to make our construction sites as environmentally friendly as possible,” said Silvan Eberhard, head of logistics at Eberhard. “We’re supporters of the circular economy and sustainability is part of our culture.”
“The L25 Electric is being used at one of our landfill sites as well as for road clearing, small-scale material handling, and as a forklift,” Eberhard said. “With the batteries acting as a counterweight, it can really lift a lot for a compact machine. It’s biggest advantage, though, is that it’s low emission, silent and has minimal vibration. Our operators enjoy working with it. In future, we plan to use the L25 Electric on our construction sites in downtown Zurich, and other cities where requests for low emissions and silence is high.”
A second Volvo CE electric, the ECR25, is in action at B. Meier Abbruch + Tiefbau AG, a demolition and civil engineering firm. The compact excavator, branded in the company’s signature red color, is being used to prepare sites for construction.
“The responsibility for looking after our environment falls on everyone,” said Bruno Meier, CEO and owner, B. Meier Abbruch + Tiefbau AG. “As our organization has grown, we wanted to look at alternative machines that don’t rely on diesel or petrol. The ECR25 Electric is our first foray into the world of electric machines.
“We are using the excavator in built-up areas and complex spaces, such as near hospitals and schools, where its emission-free and silent operation really comes into its own,” Meier said.
While electric machines require less servicing than their traditional counterparts, they do still need servicing, which is where the expertise of dealership Robert Aebi AG comes in. The company is providing full servicing and aftersales support for the customers of these electric machines.
As more countries and organizations look to tackle their own carbon footprints, the market for electric machines is set to grow, Volvo says. And with the right government incentives and regulations demanding low-emission, low-noise machines, along with the specialist support provided by local firms, the future for electric looks bright.
Source: Volvo CE
