On the 28th, Volvo Group Korea held a media event at Crest 72 in Jangchung-dong to debut the 2.5-ton 100% electric excavator ‘ECR25’, stating that it will lead the electrification of construction machinery in the domestic market.
This event was attended by Andrew Knight, CEO of Volvo Group Korea, Im Jae-tak, Vice President of Volvo Construction Equipment’s Domestic Sales Service, and Thomas Kuta, Asia Vice President of Volvo Construction Equipment, who discussed the introduction of the all-electric excavator ECR25 as well as Volvo Construction Equipment’s electrification vision.
Andrew Knight, CEO of Volvo Group Korea, introduced the event by saying, “Today marks a monumental day as we unveil Volvo Construction Equipment’s next-generation electrified equipment for the first time in the Asian market,” and added, “The domestic launch of the 100% electric excavator ECR25 will be a historic turning point towards a sustainable journey aligned with Volvo Group’s carbon neutrality initiatives.” He emphasized that Volvo Group Korea will actively invest in technology development to establish sustainable construction equipment solutions in the domestic market and pursue the electrification of construction machinery.
The ECR25 electric excavator is one of Volvo Construction Equipment’s core strategic models designed to respond to the increasing demand for sustainable construction equipment solutions, and it has gained acclaim for embodying the concepts and functions required for next-generation electrified equipment, achieving success in both European and North American markets.
Im Jae-tak, Vice President of Volvo Construction Equipment’s Domestic Sales Service, stated, “The ECR25 electric excavator was launched as a strategic model reflecting the trend and customer needs of the domestic construction machinery market, which is highly interested in new technologies and innovative operations, with easy access to charging infrastructure. With its strengths like zero carbon emissions, low noise, and low vibration, the ECR25 will establish itself as a game changer in the domestic construction machinery market across various working environments.”
The ECR25 is a 2.5-ton 100% electric excavator that replaces traditional internal combustion engines with lithium-ion electric batteries and a hydraulic system, achieving performance equivalent to diesel counterparts. With zero emissions and low noise, its compact design allows for comfortable operation in confined spaces, making it highly applicable in urban or densely populated areas.
As a low-noise electric excavator, the ECR25 can operate quietly during night works without disrupting urban traffic flow, allowing operators to communicate more effectively with colleagues and thus prevent accidents. Capitalizing on these advantages, the ECR25 shines in environments like indoor demolition tasks, agriculture, and food processing, where noise, emissions, and vibrations pose challenges.
The machine uses three batteries providing a total battery capacity of 20kWh, enabling up to four hours of operation on a single charge. Using the standard charger provided with the equipment, it takes six hours for a full charge; with the optional fast charger, 80% charge can be achieved in just one hour.
In line with the next-generation electric excavator, usability has been enhanced. The ECR25 Electric can be monitored in real-time through a Volvo telematics-based application for electric equipment management, allowing customers to receive information on charging status, battery levels, and equipment location through mobile devices, maximizing operational time.
Thomas Kuta, Asia Vice President of Volvo Construction Equipment, stated, “The Volvo Group, including Volvo Construction Equipment, has an ambitious goal of achieving a carbon-neutral value chain across all business areas by 2040. To achieve this goal, we aim for a mid-term target of 35% of revenues from electrified equipment by 2030.” He added that with the electrification of construction machinery gaining momentum in Korea, he expects new market opportunities to arise and emphasized that they will not spare investments and support to lead the electrification in the Korean construction machinery market.
Volvo Group Korea is proactively investing to lead the electrification and automation of the domestic construction machinery market.
In April of this year, they established the first mass production line for electric excavators at the Changwon factory, preparing thoroughly for the electrification of the construction machinery market. The Changwon plant of Volvo Construction Equipment Korea continuously monitors domestic market demand for electrified equipment, with plans to expand and improve production lines for small and medium-sized electric excavators, as well as hydrogen-based large electric excavators in the future.
Last year, they participated in the Sejong Smart City Construction Automation Pilot Project, deploying eight advanced construction automation devices, including two EC230 electric excavators manufactured with the technical capabilities of the Changwon plant, one 30-ton remote-controlled excavator, and five 5-ton unmanned transport devices, successfully demonstrating remote control using a 5G mobile network and showcasing technological superiority in the electrification and automation fields of construction machinery.
Meanwhile, in March, Volvo Group Korea was the first among major domestic construction machinery manufacturers to start accepting ‘online pre-orders’ for electric excavators, with the first product delivery expected in the second half of this year. More details on the ECR25 electric excavator can be found on the online pre-order page on the Volvo Construction Equipment Korea website.
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr