Volvo Continues Biggest Excavator Redesign in 20 Years with 5 New Hybrids

Volvo has added five new hybrid models to its next-generation excavator lineup, continuing the rollout of the biggest redesign of its excavators in 20 years.

The new models include the company’s largest-ever hybrids: the 40-metric-ton EC400 Hybrid and 50-metric-ton EC500 Hybrid.

The other models to get Volvo’s “hydraulic hybrid” technology are the EC260 Hybrid, EC300 Hybrid and EC370 Hybrid. (The model numbers coincide with the excavators’ weight class in metric tons.)

The excavators increase fuel efficiency by 20% in digging and dumping operations over the previous series’ conventional models and reduce carbon-dioxide emissions by 15% – all while maintaining the same productivity levels of their conventional counterparts, according to Volvo Construction Equipment.

The excavators store energy captured hydraulically from the boom moving down. That energy charges a hydraulic accumulator located just behind the boom. The stored energy is regenerated to drive the assist motor for boom-up motion, which requires the most pressure and power. This lowers the torque requirement on the engine system, conserves fuel and reduces emissions, the company says. This all happens automatically.

The savings from the hybrid system could recoup the additional purchase price of the excavator within three years, depending on how the excavator is used and prices for diesel fuel and diesel exhaust fluid, according to Sejong Ko, Volvo product manager for large excavators.

One reason Volvo chose to add the larger EC400 and EC500 models to the hybrid mix is “that the applications they are commonly used in help to maximize the benefit of the hydraulic hybrid feature,” Ko said. “For example, a quarry where an excavator is largely static for long periods loading trucks or crushers with a constant boom up and down (and swinging) motion.”

This electro-hydraulic system also results in less maintenance, according to Volvo, because it has fewer hoses and couplings. The company explains that the system does not generate electricity or require batteries and has no electronics to program.

The EC400 Hybrid becomes Volvo’s second-largest excavator to get the hydraulic hybrid technology.Volvo CEOther maintenance-saving features include an undercarriage with reinforced idle frame, track links and bottom rollers. Volvo says it also strengthened the bucket linkage with a steel strip, added a heavy-duty superstructure undercover and made bolt-on wear plates easy to replace.

“Our hybrid excavators are designed to improve fuel efficiency and reduce environmental impact while maintaining high performance,” says Ko. “These excavators lower a fleet’s emissions, making them a more environmentally friendly and fuel-efficient choice, especially for work in urban areas.”

To read more about Volvo’s next-generation excavators, click here.