Volvo Construction Equipment has become the majority investor in Electric Special Technics B.V, which operates under the brand name Limach. The company offers customized electric wheeled and crawler excavators to the Dutch market. It applies proven Li-Ion battery technology to develop first-class electrical construction machines using conventional Volvo CE products as a base, according to Volvo.
The move “complements Volvo CE’s long-term electrification roadmap and provides the opportunity to swiftly broaden the electromobility portfolio and add to the five electric compact machines currently available, further extending what is already the widest range on the market,” according to a press release.
“As a leader in electric construction solutions, we see Limach as an interesting actor in a progressive market, and a great complement to our existing portfolio of electric machines, meaning our customers will benefit from a broader range to suit their requirements,” said Thomas Bitter, head of technology at Volvo CE, in a prepared statement.
“Working together, and with our combined customer base, opens opportunities for co-learning and expanding experiences of these types of solutions, as we continue driving the transformation towards sustainable power sources,” he said.
The current range extends from the compact E18.3 electric mini excavator with an operating weight of about 4,000 pounds, to the 31,000-pound E140.1. The units complement Volvo CE’s existing range of electric machines, according to the company.
The internal combustion engine on select excavators will be replaced by a Limach-developed electrification kit.
Rens de Bruijn, CEO at Limach, said in a statement:
“Limach was established with the purpose to develop construction equipment with an electric drive. Each machine is custom-made at our production facility in Ede in the Netherlands and delivered according to customer specifications. Since the development of our first demonstrator excavator in 2017, we have seen growing demand from customers in the Netherlands. Thanks to the investment from Volvo CE, we can scale-up production of our electric excavators and extend the range we offer to meet this growing appetite for electric drives.”
Limach will continue to operate as a standalone company.
Source: Volvo CE
