EUROVIA Contracting, a national highway infrastructure company, has taken delivery of the UK’s first 100% electric-powered Volvo ECR25 mini excavator.
The battery operated digger has been chosen as part of Eurovia’s aim to deliver a carbon reduction programme throughout the business.
“We’re on target to achieve a 40% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030, which is very significant for a company that has a high degree of self-delivery,” explained Matt Stubbings, divisional manager of Eurovia Contracting. “And the introduction of battery-powered machinery holds the key to achieving that goal.”
Supplied by SMT GB, the ECR25 is Eurovia’s first electrically powered excavator, and also the company’s first Volvo excavator.
Eurovia MD, Phil Skegg, said, “Volvo’s electric-powered mini excavator enables us to take further steps towards achieving our environmental ambitions. Urban operations will particularly benefit from noise reduction and zero emissions, and this will be the first of many for Eurovia.”
The zero tailswing, zero emissions ECR25 Electric is said to deliver the same performance and power as its diesel-engined counterpart, due to Volvo engineers replacing the machine’s internal combustion engine with a 48-volt lithium battery pack. This provides a 20kWh, 450Ah supply, to operate a permanent magnet electric motor, which is used to drive the mini excavator’s hydraulic system.
