Volvo Construction Equipment’s modern design of the L120 Electric wheel loader has earned a Red Dot award.
The Red Dot award is one of the most respected design competitions and recognizes outstanding achievements in product and industrial design.
Volvo received the award for Product Design at the competition’s annual ceremony in Essen, Germany in early July.
The machine’s modern look is the result of a year of collaboration by Volvo’s technology and design teams from Jinan in China, and Eskilstuna and Gothenburg in Sweden.
The company called the award a testament to the power of global collaboration.
“I’m happy we won this award but I’m especially happy that we won it for this machine,” said Peter Reuterberg, Senior Chief Advanced Designer for Volvo CE.
“The change from diesel to electric gave us the opportunity to think differently and strive for big impact. Our hope is that this new silhouette will be instantly recognizable as electric.”
The L120 Electric is a 22-ton machine with a 6-ton lifting capacity and a recommended rehandling bucket capacity of 5 cubic yards, giving it nearly identical performance capabilities as its conventional counterpart.
The electric wheel loader can handle a variety of applications, including infrastructure, waste and recycling, agriculture, forestry, ports and logistics centres.
The electric loader is powered by a 600 Volt, 282-kWh lithium-ion battery system that can run for five to nine hours on a single charge, depending on the application.
A new look for the electric era
The removal of the diesel engine made the streamlined frame of the electric loader possible. The result is a transformation from a boxy rear end common to diesel machines into a sleek shape for the new era of electric.
If designers replaced the combustion engine with larger-in-size batteries, this would have not only created a ‘bulkier’ shape but would have also reduced visibility from the cab. As wheel loaders are designed to be driven both forwards and backwards in equal measure, all-round visibility is crucial to their safe and efficient operation.
Engineers and designers worked together on a more thoughtful solution and agreed to integrate the batteries into the counterweight of the machine.
The heavy weight of a battery is often seen as a problem in electric machine design, but in this case, the battery is being used to replace a concrete counterweight required for wheel loaders.
“When we debuted the machine it marked a significant breakthrough, truly capturing the spirit of an electric vehicle,” said Annie Gao, Product Platform Engineer at the Jinan Technology Center, Volvo CE China.
“It is our relentless pursuit of innovation, close attention to detail, and commitment to quality that made this possible.”
Dewalt Powershift
Dewalt’s Powershift light equipment line also received a Red Dot Award.
The battery-powered six-part, tool system for concrete construction includes a rammer and vibrating plate, a bottle compactor in a stationary and a backpack version, a screed for processing, and a core drill for processing concrete.
The core, compatible with all machines, is a lithium-ion battery based on innovative pouch cell technology. It weighs 5.3 kg and charges in less than an hour.
According to the Red Dot jury, the compact design and the striking colour concept of the system components combine a harmonious, recognizable appearance with safety aspects such as an anti-rotation and soft-start function.
“With Powershift, Dewalt has succeeded in creating a highly coherent product line that combines high performance with a genuine improvement in the user experience and reduces the carbon dioxide footprint on construction sites,” the Red Dot jury commented in its review of the product line.
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