@@noisybarinavalon More annoying than being killed by a 5000 pound machine silently running over you, or smashing you with the boom? These electric machines are so quiet that construction workers won't be able to hear them. Moderate to severe hearing loss in construction is an occupational hazard, which is why many machines have the loud ear piercing backup beepers. Some people have such bad hearing loss that they can barely even hear those. Ear protection can also block the single tone out, so even people with working ears will have a difficult time hearing a single tone alarm. White noise is easier for everyone to hear because it broadcasts on multiple frequencies, and doesn't cause hearing damage like a high decibel alarm of the older style backup beepers. It's also less irritating to everyone around the construction site.
Chris is so pro-Volvo I'm still blown away that someone at Volvo hasn't just put his foot down and just told someone to drop off and exchange a new piece of equipment every other month for him to showcase on job site's. Seams like a really missed opportunity to get there stuff shown to a lot of like minded individuals.
Exactly, the cost to give him a machine every couple of months is a small fraction compared to the amount of advertising revenue and publicity the company is getting from Chris's channel.
Thanks for showing the digger and the loader. The loader I can see been used more for loading at a builder's supply yard for loading dirt ,builders mix etc, as they can charge it overnight but the digger is more for the small job that is going to be about 2 or 3 days work then taken back to charge at the home base. They are the way to go for small jobs as for cost running I would say they would start to be quite economy to run as just having hydraulic oil and grease to look after. The batteries would be about the cost of a diesel replacement engine but easier to replace.
Curious what a new diesel would cost (refurb/rebuild versus new engine minmax)... a 75kWh tesla battery is 16k replaced...and the old one still has a decent core price as all those fancy rare metals will need recycling. 1000x easier to recycle than to extract from ore. (recycling isn't there yet, but it's a chicken egg problem - not enough 'dead' batteries hitting the recycle market...but the first big wave of cars is now 4 years old, in the next 6 years the recycle market is gonna see a huge influx of raw materials and they'll make a killing. This volvo battery seems simpler and easier to swap - less integrated overall so I could see it being probably a lot cheaper, $5k range for that size.
Hey Chris!! No DEF issues at least,,,,,,,. Hahaha!!! Thanks for letting us see these. I could have imagined using a loader like that in the corrals in the feedlot portion of the ranch. It really did seem stable. We had 2 x JCB telehandlers we were using for d*mn near everything they could do!!! Once you get used to those they are hard to top. I also had a Case W14 Feedlot Special from 1985 (I think) and even restored it about 6 or 7 years ago. I preferred running it, because it was what I knew best. That thing had around 28,000 hours or so when I sold the ranch a couple of years ago! Everything had been rebuilt at least once, the motor twice. They weren’t too expensive to fix or too bad to work on. The cool thing about electric machines would be almost zero maintenance. Grease them up, keep them clean as you can, manage the hydraulic oil. Running all summer in a very busy season and you don’t have to worry about shutting down for oil and filters to be changed would be nice!! Our tractors always seemed to come up for service mid-harvest!! Haha. The future is almost here.
It’s interesting! I hear a lot of people asking questions about charging, battery life, how to deal with certain situations that would come up in a normal workday. They are all valid questions however I remember when the Makita 9.6 cordless drill came out back in the late 70s everybody asked similar questions and overtime all of those questions were answered and the technology just got better and better till today we have whole tool lines running on lithium ion batteries and they are amazing tools! I’m quite sure all of these questions will be answered and this is the way the industry will go. Obviously there are some situations where you just can’t beat what a diesel can currently do but for where it is applicable this is the way of the not so distant future!
@@ronniewilliz153 One could argue the 100's of millions of diesel burned every day also have an impact on the earth. I know its a very popular facebook meme right now to shade the electric vehicle industry by posting pictures of the mines of lithium (most aren't even lithium just open put mines of other minerals) but one could easily argue the impact of lithium mining is no more dangerous than the harvest of natural gas and oil. I have 3 diesel powered machines but I hope in my lifetime I get to see their electric powered variants.
The only situation that I can think of that a diesel is better is running longer that the battery can support or in a location where charging power is not available. These problems will be over come once the demand for the machine meets the need of the machine. I would like to hear just one advantage of diesel over electric. To make my case I present to you the diesel locomotive. Alternately. I want to know the battery service life. Most diesels will outlive the machine they run if you allow for an in frame rebuild once or twice. Service on a brushless DC motor is pretty simple assuming it’s accessible.
@@ronniewilliz153 you have a good point. One other point is that in Vancouver (for example) the infrastructure for charging power will not support charging cars at I think it was 20 percent. (Check that fact, but it’s not future ready here.). Which is to say that if we had 1/2 the people driving electric cars there would not be enough electric power for charging them. So add another site C dam which brings enormous green house gas from the curing of concrete alone. never mind building the dam. And we are luck here with the ability to have a dam for electric generation. In out northern remote regions we use diesel to run generators to charge electric machines., and everything else. Some times generators run out of fuel and the site is not accessible in the winter….
Well yeah lol. It's not the best but either way we have to pick one way that's gonna hurt the earth, either it be diesel or electric no matter what one of them is gonna be bad for the eco system.
Really fascinating developments. As for night use, they probably need to come up with a bucket muffling system, then it really would not wake folks. Imagine if either or both lost the cab and also had wireless remote added, they could get into even smaller spaces in buildings too. Thanks for this really interesting video. Be well.
Take it 4 steps further...get rid of the (immediate) operator. One operator supervising a swarm of these - just upload a cad model of what you want and they just...get it done.
@@frollard I've had a think about it and there is a snag in my imagining beyond those you have noted; You would have to have a lot of cameras, and the operator would be unlikely to have as good a view as they already have. It means the remote unit would become cumbersome beyond useful, big screen, loads of knobs buttons and or sliders. It's fine as Volvo have done it, which is probably why they are Volvo, and I am just a bloke watching a video on youtube! ;o) I know stump grinders are done that way by Vermeer and they are very clever, but they are a much simpler beast in functionality. Oh well.........
@@AncientHermit It's all about intelligent swarming software! The excavators have to be as autonomous as possible and the control center is supervising the correct execution of the job configuration. People in the control center should not have to operate individual excavators, that's done by the swarming software.
I agree that beeper is aggravating, that buzzer is worse, good golly!!! I’d want to remove it, probably wait until the warranty has expired, that is terrible!!!
@@crazyhumpy Supposedly the "white noise" beeper is not as loud as the normal ones, but it's easier to notice (safer). Dunno but seems the sound is odd enough that it would get your attention.
yes and half day shits, no night shits, every things down. they may have there short term /work spot but not something a contractor or farm would ever buy, to replace the battery's is 70% of the machine, just like the cars but they cost more then the car. the bucket on the mini sounder like tin..
As technology evolves , charge times will decrease. I dig them both. They'd be great for demo. Stripping out old commercial buildings or stores. No fumes and quiet as Hell.
@@stephenw2992 that's why you make sure you charge them up after you're done for the day. Bring back to the shop and charge it. More charging stations are popping up. I don't like electric vehicles but give it a chance. Ya still need fossil fuels to charge it and what's the carbon print when these batteries are no longer of service? How poisonous is this to the environment, short term and long term? How do you dispose of the spent batteries? I say let them try and sit back to watch the magic happen. Also if the batteries overheat and explode, how dangerous are they when this happens? See Greta and her TREE hugging thinking doesn't think about these things mentioned but pushes the narrative further along. We have bio diesel and E85. It boils down to who has the most to gain and get rich off of it👍👍
That is so awesome! That is such a versatile little machine!!!! The warning buzzer with track movement sounds like a buzzard choking on a dead cat that crawled up a skunks butt.
Jeeez 3,000 years ago there was no diesel and no electric and they (the Flintstones) still got the job done......and the bears then were much much bigger Yabba dabba doooo *Wilmaaaaaa*
We have been putting electric motors in stationary shovels for years. We converted a cat 330 that fed logs to the mill and have saved many thousands of dollars in fuel.
The mini be a great machine for grave diggers! So quiet! You would have to get rid of the duck that squawks every time it moves though. You wouldn't want to disturb the other customers
Actually I don’t think it should have that many. 1 electric motor and 1 pump. No emissions, no engine codes, same electric over hydraulic valves. It all depends on how Volvo did the communication network?
I understand what your saying.... but the "codes" are mainly emissions stuff, this is likely way more reliable than a modern diesel powered machine. It has it's own set of problems but I doubt reliability is one of them.
@@gregnewlin1074 If its got a computer in it its going to have codes, especially when its even wired up to the seatbelt, and who knows what other EU rubbish regulations are built into it to go wrong once a bit of dirt gets into it
Hey Chris...Whatya got there? Chris: I think it's an electric razor with a built in soup spoon. The bucket loader is even quieter than the electric mini excavator
I'm not fully sold on electric machines. They might be somewhat practical if they never leave a job site so they are close to a charge station, but what if they have to be on a job site for say a week? Bring a diesel generator with you that has to run 12 hours to charge the batteries? It just doesn't make sense to me.
If you bring a generator, it would probably be better to bring a 400V one along with a fast charger as you'll be up to 80% capacity in about 50 minutes according to Volvo. I think the 12 hrs charge time is based on 110V (or the American 230V standard) as 230V/16A is specified at 5 hrs.
Electrical motors are much cheaper to run than a combustion engine plus less maintenance and last longer. Charging could be a challenge. Maybe they can someday be able to change batteries when needed like batteries on tools.
one disadvantige : if you got a 5 hour job , and your batterys goes only 4 hours , then you have to spread your job over 2 days.( 2 times transport) and with diesel , you just take your can an fill het up.
they'd be amazing for urban construction and industrial use. would have been great on our family farm too. just imagine if we'd had something like electric forklifts for decades ;)
@@paulprigge1209 and the battery loses strength each time you charge. I will buy into this electric stuff when I get more than 2 years out of my iphone battery
@@truckguy6.7 Batteries are an intermediate solution. Hydrogen technologies seams to be more promising, but there is a wave for electric solutions (cars, trucks, equipment) and nobody wants to be left behind.
This is so cool! Not having to shout and being super efficient while it just plugs into any electric car charger... this opens up so many possibilities for the future!
Is Volvo finally going to start sponsoring the channel? Electric equipment and vehicles are amazing and powerful. Just wish the battery technology was there to last longer. Although lithium is better than lead acid but there still very limited.
@@videopyc yes that’s what I’m saying. But lithium batterys are still limited. If you could run the machine for 8 hrs straight then they would be perfect. Or have it setup where the cells are easily swapped so that your not worried about running out of power on the job. Does that explain it better
Gawd, I hope that they don’t. Turning LD18 into a promoter for Volvo makes him instantly unattractive (from a channel perspective). I don’t want to watch an equipment sales pitch ….bleh
@@genesispuredeaf2390 yeah I agree although I don’t see Chris going that route. Hes never spoke about any sponsor on any video, so I doubt he ever will. He already uses there equipment and talks highly about them so why would they pay him for it. It’s free advertisement for them. Although they should be giving him something atleast.
Lithium is far worse than oil, environmentally speaking. People always say "oh let's go green and use electric vehicles." The reality is it isn't all that green. Lithium has to be mined from the Earth. Lithium mines are huge and they are surface mines. Secondly, Lithium has to be processed to be used. The process to refine it so it can be made into a battery is extremely hazardous and toxic. Much more so than the oil refining process. Third, Lithium can't be recycled. Forth, it still won't eliminate oil as plastics and other byproducts will be used. Finally, oil gives us so many more products. It isn't just gas. The green industry is a joke.
yea charging it up after each day is biggest hazard with this else you gotta spend hours driving to the shop to get it them drive it out to the job site to use it. then when day is done load it up bring it back to shop to charge it. rinse repeat next day which is gonna be what 1-2 hours easy depending on distance you drive daily.
Simple solution, put a diesel generator on a trailer and take it to the job site! They might make a good piece of permanent equipment at some type of manufacturing plant where it can be plugged in when not in use.
It is surprising that 6 months ago people were being really critical of electric plant machinery in some other UA-cam video on the Fully Charged show, they were really hating on them. But now people are starting to see the benefit of these machines and what they can do. Companies like Volvo and CAT are making more and more fully electric machines, the new machines may not be right for everyone, but most users should have no problem changing over. Also the CAT mini digger i saw a while back came with a remote control too!
When you run out your 3 hours of battery life, then what? Look for the (diesel powered) generator for a recharge? Think, people, think. This isn't the future for field operations. Possibly a select few jobs that are close to utility supplied power, but not out in the swamp or building ponds in the woods.
@@rabidbigdog You implied battery powered excavators are "the future". They would only be practical when the job is within a cord length of a power source. Most excavator work is far from a power source. This should be obvious. To imply this is the future indicates a lack of understanding of this concept. But you're the type who hates to be wrong and will want the last word to make yourself feel better. So, by all means, proceed.
Does it come with a big ass diesel generator that you run all night to charge it, or will it have a windmill on the roof? The big problem with the eco loons is that they think electric comes out of the wall by magic.
Wow.... so, you are one of those "always skeptical" type of people. The problem with the NON-eco loons is that they don't have the ability to understand how technology advancements are outdating their own logic. Are we at a place where we could convert to 100% electric? Not even close. But one diesel generator running to charge 10 machines would require less fuel than 10 diesel machines running all day. Don't be so pessimistic. The world around you is changing whether you like it or not.
@@TheJgoodwin74 Maybe if the machines are doing a lot of idling the generator would use less diesel, but there is a loss in converting diesel to electric, so it would be more efficient to run busy machines off the diesel. It sounds like those non-eco loons are being perfectly reasonable about the limitations of electric machines. Sounds like you are one of those tech fans that has no idea about how technology really works.
Yeah, it gets worse when you remember they likely went lithium-ion for the batteries. Great for electric power bad on the cost. The life span of them is usually about a decade though.
Diesel ain't getting any cheaper and batteries are. We fill our L20 loader probably 2 times a week, so maybe $60 a week. So you are looking at possibly $3000 a year for diesel. Electric car batteries last 8 to 10 years. So even half of that will get you 5. That's $15,000 worth of diesel that will go towards batteries. Not to mention oil changes and other diesel maintenance costs. The only real issue I would have would be the run time. I doubt you get all day out of either machine.
@@mulchman2000 I hear ya. I filled up my diesel pickup the other day, cost me $93. And I started with a little over 1/8 tank. Staying home more often! lol
@@mulchman2000 If they put batteries with the right amp-hours in you might get a full day but that would also drive the cost up a lot. They are trying to balance the cost vs performance curve to make the machines more interesting, no idea how well they managed it though.
Of course you would take it there, but for work in city centers it does not seem to be bad idea ;-) no worries, electric machinery will never replace conventional in many areas ;-)
@@skorpikh i wouldnt say never, but i can agree that we are not ready to completely switch over to electric yet, id say this machine is meant more for digging trenches or landscaping jobs
They just finished paving the road in front of us with these, and the guy said he just charges them in the weekend. For just moving stuff around a bit the battery is sufficient. In the middle of a city street these are awesome. No noise or smoke.
Chris this new EV equipment that Volvo is releasing is fantastic.. And hopefully only the beginning of a new EV line of light to heavy construction equipment for all manufacturers. Many thanks to Volvo for stepping up with cutting-edge technology. All electric is the future and this is only the beginning. Great video.
@@_nunnthewiser we have that noise all the way here in New Zealand too, they copied the uk, on that white noise alarm! So annoying when your neighbor has it fitted to his company work pickup truck, and he backs out of his driveway at 04:30 every morning!
Love it. And future models will only get better with time. More power, and more battery life. I hope in the future you end up with a few. Imagine an electric 220 in the future. That would be epic.
Presently earth moving machines have been designed around the shape and size requirements of a Diesel engine. As electric starts to become more prevalent in machinery the designs will start to evolve to allow the inclusion of a larger battery and potentially a hot swappable battery option. Battery technology has/will improve over time also.
The design seems a bit of a miss to me. If you are going electric, ditch the hydraulics. Ball screw actuators with motorized nuts. The batteries would last way longer by not running a pump all the time. A pump that largely just dumps fluid back to the tank with little work accomplished. I also think there is a good chance the digging force and actuation speed could be increased.
There's a very small company that makes an electric farm tractor that uses linear actuators for that reason. I've tried to find some big actuators myself for an excavator build I'm doing, and they are very expensive. Tons of small ones that are just not fast enough for anything other than a dozer blade or small movements. Cable excavators are interesting though. You are right, an excavator can be much more efficient if you can avoid running that hydraulic pump as much as possible.
@@rich.trails I have been thinking about designing up some proper industrial linear actuators. There is no reason they need to be as expensive as they are, or have such poor performance. They will be more expensive than a hydraulic cylinder, but then you won't need the expensive pump and hoses, so it may start to balance out. The motors should be integral to the actuator too, not hanging off the side like they do today.
Bring on the electric equipment. All we need is a technology step in batteries and they will be a good fit for lots of jobs. Remote refill might be an issue for now, but I doubt it will be that way for too long.
I would imagine the upfront cost of the machine would be pretty high, but in the long run the no emissions breaking expense and oil changes and such would make up for the cost savings in the long run! pretty cool machines. Does any of the other manufacturers make fully electric equipment like these? I have not seen any out there yet!
As an operator and an avid ebike off road enduro style builder, 2 wheel drive, 2 battery packs, 5000 watt rear, 2000 watt front.... they need to make equipment but with battery packs that can swapped out easily, instead of having to wait for it to charge, just like an ebike, swap out battery and keep on running.... The new LTO cells have a huge cycle rate of about 50,000 charges and a much larger temperature zone in which they can work, most importantly for those of us in a colder climate, Canada, they can work down as low as about -30 or so.... I forget the exact specs right off the top of my head..but they also can discharge at about 350 amps, so 4 of those in series would be 120 amp hours @ 1400 amps :) much better than the current Li-ion batteries, even the new " Tesla " style 21700 cells, ok the samsung 40T can discharge at 35 amps.... and OR an extended run time battery pack you can say clip on the back....
You are joking but there is actually such a thing. I think it was for people who physically cant operate the real machine. There is like a sim cockpit with screens for big equipment and small mobile ones that the cranes on semis often have.
We were in the same machine at the expo and my only complaint was the annoying back up alarm! LOL we were really impressed with the power and Comfort of this machine.
Yeah, the batterylife is the issue with these at the moment. When they get those batteries last longer it will get more viable but till then it's not really a work machine, more like lawn usage at home type of stuff.
@@Alhu90 I get it....sort of. Yes these battery powered (aka electric) machines are being designed & built and improved...to potentially reduce this so called "climate change" (aka global warming etc etc) Facts 1 - The materials used for the batteries have finite resources - they eventually will be exhausted 2 - AFAIK and understand there's no recyclability of some of the components in batteries 3 - The Earth, through it's entire life, has always, since having/gaining an atmosphere, variable climate (aka climate change) from ice ages (several) to warm periods. I'm not saying mankind isn't affecting this change. 4 - Most westernised countries have done a tremendous amount to reduce "man's footprint" on the planet yet Asian countries which seem much more over populated pump out more harmful substances without question/challenge If *we* resolve the first 2 issues (facts) and ignore, like many scientists, political leaders and environmentalists, the 3 fact - what would be the point...because the Asians are still going to f**k this all up anyway Closing my bible, bowing my head as I place my 4kw megaphone (powered by 3 diesel generators) on to the solid gold lectern ps I used to have a recycled soapbox and shout but I've decided to be like the Asians and not give a flying f....
@@philhunt9297 Yeah.. I agree on the point that as long as Asia does what it wants it doesn't matter what small countries do. I live in Finland wich emissions are about 0.1% of worlds and yet they want to quit fossilfuel usage on a very short period of time. It doesn't matter what we do here when there are countries with over 500x more population that don't give a F*** about anything.
@@Alhu90 Honestly wasn't having a dig there...just pointing out the blindingly obvious that many, especially those XR / Insulate Britain idiots refuse to acknowledge
The ability to recharge is what will limit the use & scope of these machines - not going to be viable on most of the projects we see Chris working on, as it's unfeasible to transport them to a charging point every night, then back every morning.
The infrastructure will adapt. Now on large sites it's normal to have a fuel tank on site. Instead, or in addition too, there will be charging ports on site.
I dunno 🤷♂️ I’m not sold on electrical vehicles or definitely mhe yet…..old school I guess…..but I agree that manufacturers are building equipment better every year……time will tell……
Seen a few European channels getting demos of the mini excavator a couple of years ago but I am guessing they were preproduction units, and I am sure they are running development and testing of bigger electric equipment in China
Well they are tested in northern Sweden (inside the artic circle) during winter time so i would guess there is not an issue. They probably keep the battery pack warm with an heat exchanger. Heat from the hydraulic fluid transfered to coolant that circulates around the battery pack.
Same question as for electric cars- What exactly does the heater and air con do to run times? Being the suspicious PITA that I am I assume it was left out because the answers are not good selling points.
I agree. We’re lucky to be witnessing this technology change. However, the boss of JCB made a video explaining why electric doesn’t suit this market and made an argument for Hydrogen. Progress though, in whatever shape, is always welcomed. 👍
I repair electric forklifts almost every day. We have around 50 or so in the different buildings at our yard in Astoria Queens alone. I see the truck fleet going electric in the next 10 years. Unfortunately I am retiring in the next two years so I will miss out on an exciting era.
Saw an interesting video of a gasoline powered van pulling a diesel powered Genset charging an electric car that had run out of charge along side of the highway.
Chris tells them he is going to dig and then punches through the parking lot. Volvo gets bill for venue damage. Oh well, guess we should have been clearer on limits with him. Next time.
I drove battery forklifts for a few years and an overnight charge was all it took for a days work with them. Great video bro and thanks for letting us tag along. Safe travels
My question is , how do you leave it on a job site over night or a week at a time ? you'll have to haul it to and fro every day ? We better start kissing China's ass if we want to get all the lithium we're going to need for all these electric machines we're going to need in the near future . Plus how are we going to supply all the electricity needed to charge a whole country's fleet of vehicles ?
Were you driving them all day? We used to fully charge 3 forks overnight but had to charge them in shifts through the day or we would end up with 2 dead and a cranky night shift crew
The over night charge concept works in an indoor environment where there is zero possibility of someone needing it at night and no one that might accidentally unplug it.
They look nice, but you have to take them "home" to charge every day, so can't leave them on the jobsite unless there is a decent charging possibility.
Lars did an excellent job with english not being his primary language... the Electric machines will have their place- I don't see them completely replacing the engine drives, but in time they will become a lot more prominent.. especially in the rental fleets..
These are more for small day jobs and landscape centers. As they were saying, for loading trucks with whatever material they come to pick up. Use it during the day and charge it at night. For it to be practical out on remote job sites, Volvo would need to either build an extended run time machine or like Dan said, charge it with a gen set. But for day jobs, I can see this being a game changer. If the batteries hold up. Those are definitely LiFePO or similar. Expensive as hell, but pound for pound they are the king in the battery world.
Bet it feels odd with the sound of it, when moving or digging.. lolol.. That was pretty cool !! Thanks for sharing Chris... Great as always Man !! Have a Great Evening !! And, On too the Next...
They look like, but they aren't. Batteries are no where near strong enough, cant charge fast enough, and require electricity to charge aka a generator.
@@christopherwebber1104 the weak knee of electrics right now is capacity and charge time. But an electric motor has maximum torque at zero speed so they are very good at high torque. So I disagree that they aren't strong enough. Battery technology is advancing more than ever before. An electric excavator has it's place but still not able to hold it's own to one that runs on diesel or gas yet as though can be refilled in minutes. I could see the big niche for electric equipment as really good for indoor work or closed in work. The OEM obviously sees a marketplace for it so they are producing it. Remember it's not whether or not you want it but that there are enough people out that that want it.
@@danielmarek4609 I agree with strength, I am saying run time. Watched a video and it was stated 2 hrs run time digging. If it has a direct high amp plug so it can run constantly it would be awesome for indoor, except the wire defeats the purpose
@@christopherwebber1104 the thing that would displace diesel or gas powered equipment is fast charging batteries (minutes not hours) and charge duration. The duration has to meet or exceed what you currently get traditionally. With all of the focus now on electric anything there is a lot of dollars pouring into battery research. If we could see into the future to a day when you can recharge in minutes I'm sure that the battery technology of that day will be different from the batteries of today. Tesla for instance has really pulled the technology ahead a lot. Tesla has their electric semi on the way and that alone will focus their efforts to solve power for industrial use.
@@danielmarek4609 totally agree on charge rate, or what I think also is interchangeable batteries like AA for car world. It's just everyone only will make proprietary crap. Tesla semi is junk because of battery weight. Payloads much less than standard diesel truck.
Electric has its place and yard machinery where power is available seems like a good fit, or in the case of the mini-ex, inside jobs with limited ventilation. I think most job sites would be an issue unless you could get that 240v power station set up and that's just not an option too often. Liquid fuel still wins in most cases as the down-time to re-fuel/re-charge is WAY lower and the energy density of the fuel is so much higher than current battery tech, it counters the efficiency of the electric motors.
Here in Europe you have 1-phase 230 V available everywhere and also 3-phase 400 v in most houses and other buildings, so it's easy to get it charged here. If you're buidling a new road or pond in the middle of nowhere power might be harder to come by thoguh.
I bet you are still gonna keep your 220. Back in the 1980s and 90s the Mech.Contractor resorted to using LPG machines during inside rework of package lines at Jax. A-Busch. Electric machines will be the go to from now on as long as operators do NOT bury them in mud holes. I doubt the battery and motor connections are waterproof.
It will take about 5.5 hrs to fully recharge with a 230v/16a charging system. If you go to a 400v/32 amp charger, you can fully recharge it in 1.5 hrs. IF you have a charger that's conveniently located near the excavator or load it up and take it to home base. This proably has fewer maintenance requirements other than greasing all the moving parts.
Wall 220 probably. These are ideal for indoor arenas and also the mini will be ideal for retail repairs like pipe burst the diesels are not going anywhere but these open a whole new way to use the machines
I thought this too. But even big mines once developed have power. It's an advantage not having to run large fuel trucks all the time. Perhaps to develop the sites in the beginning yes. The disadvantage is range and charge times. Usually the mines run the equipment nearly 24/7 in shifts with a brief shutdown to refuel. But I think the technology will overcome this. Strides have already been made with advced batteries and high power supper charging.
@@ryrylandcripps5811 Don't forget cemeteries too! I also own a concrete vault manufacturing factory because the cemetery is kind of a swamp and the machines would fall into sinkholes if we didn't have these concrete vaults capping every grave. That factory is just about 850 yards away from where the equipment parks today. They can just drive to the factory at lunch to charge, and at the end of the shift. The machines will just park at the factory now lol. That factory has 400vac.
@@hithere7382 yes very few applications where electric will not work. Perhaps for development projects they can use hydrogen fuel cells to charge. Green hydrogen will be very expensive however.
When they weren't looking, you should've snuck an LD18 sticker on the mini! lol
Aside from it sounding like someone choking a chicken when it moves, that mini is pretty nifty. And the loader is pretty cool as well.
White noise beeper, supposed to work better in enclosed spaces and have less noise pollution.
OMG it does sound like someone choking a chicken! 😂🤣😂🤣
Yea, no kidding. Where are my wire cutters? That buzzer is annoying AF.
I was wondering WTF that was. How annoying would that be all day/night long. I thought there was something wrong with it.
@@noisybarinavalon More annoying than being killed by a 5000 pound machine silently running over you, or smashing you with the boom? These electric machines are so quiet that construction workers won't be able to hear them. Moderate to severe hearing loss in construction is an occupational hazard, which is why many machines have the loud ear piercing backup beepers. Some people have such bad hearing loss that they can barely even hear those. Ear protection can also block the single tone out, so even people with working ears will have a difficult time hearing a single tone alarm.
White noise is easier for everyone to hear because it broadcasts on multiple frequencies, and doesn't cause hearing damage like a high decibel alarm of the older style backup beepers. It's also less irritating to everyone around the construction site.
letsdig18 evaluating a new digger "let me grade a pond real quick"
Chris is so pro-Volvo I'm still blown away that someone at Volvo hasn't just put his foot down and just told someone to drop off and exchange a new piece of equipment every other month for him to showcase on job site's. Seams like a really missed opportunity to get there stuff shown to a lot of like minded individuals.
Exactly, the cost to give him a machine every couple of months is a small fraction compared to the amount of advertising revenue and publicity the company is getting from Chris's channel.
Would it come with a contractual requirement to say nothing bad from the piece of equipment lent ?
sites, their
What do you do when it’s on a new construction site with no power for weeks?
@@owenherter3701 Charge it with solar for a week, use it for 2h.
Thanks for showing the digger and the loader. The loader I can see been used more for loading at a builder's supply yard for loading dirt ,builders mix etc, as they can charge it overnight but the digger is more for the small job that is going to be about 2 or 3 days work then taken back to charge at the home base. They are the way to go for small jobs as for cost running I would say they would start to be quite economy to run as just having hydraulic oil and grease to look after. The batteries would be about the cost of a diesel replacement engine but easier to replace.
Your electric bill will increase to charge those things. Nothing is totally Free $$$
@@dirtfarmer7472 pennies on the dollar
@@dirtfarmer7472 Electric transport is currently about 1/4 the price of gasoline equivalent. Electric would go up but not by as much as you think.
Curious what a new diesel would cost (refurb/rebuild versus new engine minmax)...
a 75kWh tesla battery is 16k replaced...and the old one still has a decent core price as all those fancy rare metals will need recycling. 1000x easier to recycle than to extract from ore. (recycling isn't there yet, but it's a chicken egg problem - not enough 'dead' batteries hitting the recycle market...but the first big wave of cars is now 4 years old, in the next 6 years the recycle market is gonna see a huge influx of raw materials and they'll make a killing.
This volvo battery seems simpler and easier to swap - less integrated overall so I could see it being probably a lot cheaper, $5k range for that size.
You’re neglecting to realize that there should not be a need to replace a diesel engine in one of these machines if well-maintained.
Hey Chris!! No DEF issues at least,,,,,,,. Hahaha!!!
Thanks for letting us see these. I could have imagined using a loader like that in the corrals in the feedlot portion of the ranch. It really did seem stable. We had 2 x JCB telehandlers we were using for d*mn near everything they could do!!! Once you get used to those they are hard to top. I also had a Case W14 Feedlot Special from 1985 (I think) and even restored it about 6 or 7 years ago. I preferred running it, because it was what I knew best. That thing had around 28,000 hours or so when I sold the ranch a couple of years ago! Everything had been rebuilt at least once, the motor twice. They weren’t too expensive to fix or too bad to work on.
The cool thing about electric machines would be almost zero maintenance. Grease them up, keep them clean as you can, manage the hydraulic oil. Running all summer in a very busy season and you don’t have to worry about shutting down for oil and filters to be changed would be nice!! Our tractors always seemed to come up for service mid-harvest!! Haha.
The future is almost here.
It’s interesting! I hear a lot of people asking questions about charging, battery life, how to deal with certain situations that would come up in a normal workday. They are all valid questions however I remember when the Makita 9.6 cordless drill came out back in the late 70s everybody asked similar questions and overtime all of those questions were answered and the technology just got better and better till today we have whole tool lines running on lithium ion batteries and they are amazing tools! I’m quite sure all of these questions will be answered and this is the way the industry will go. Obviously there are some situations where you just can’t beat what a diesel can currently do but for where it is applicable this is the way of the not so distant future!
Are you aware what it takes to make these bats ? It's nice and all but it's got a huge impact on the earth tho.
@@ronniewilliz153 One could argue the 100's of millions of diesel burned every day also have an impact on the earth. I know its a very popular facebook meme right now to shade the electric vehicle industry by posting pictures of the mines of lithium (most aren't even lithium just open put mines of other minerals) but one could easily argue the impact of lithium mining is no more dangerous than the harvest of natural gas and oil.
I have 3 diesel powered machines but I hope in my lifetime I get to see their electric powered variants.
The only situation that I can think of that a diesel is better is running longer that the battery can support or in a location where charging power is not available. These problems will be over come once the demand for the machine meets the need of the machine. I would like to hear just one advantage of diesel over electric. To make my case I present to you the diesel locomotive. Alternately. I want to know the battery service life. Most diesels will outlive the machine they run if you allow for an in frame rebuild once or twice. Service on a brushless DC motor is pretty simple assuming it’s accessible.
@@ronniewilliz153 you have a good point. One other point is that in Vancouver (for example) the infrastructure for charging power will not support charging cars at I think it was 20 percent. (Check that fact, but it’s not future ready here.). Which is to say that if we had 1/2 the people driving electric cars there would not be enough electric power for charging them. So add another site C dam which brings enormous green house gas from the curing of concrete alone. never mind building the dam. And we are luck here with the ability to have a dam for electric generation. In out northern remote regions we use diesel to run generators to charge electric machines., and everything else. Some times generators run out of fuel and the site is not accessible in the winter….
Well yeah lol. It's not the best but either way we have to pick one way that's gonna hurt the earth, either it be diesel or electric no matter what one of them is gonna be bad for the eco system.
Really fascinating developments. As for night use, they probably need to come up with a bucket muffling system, then it really would not wake folks. Imagine if either or both lost the cab and also had wireless remote added, they could get into even smaller spaces in buildings too. Thanks for this really interesting video. Be well.
Take it 4 steps further...get rid of the (immediate) operator. One operator supervising a swarm of these - just upload a cad model of what you want and they just...get it done.
@@frollard I've had a think about it and there is a snag in my imagining beyond those you have noted; You would have to have a lot of cameras, and the operator would be unlikely to have as good a view as they already have. It means the remote unit would become cumbersome beyond useful, big screen, loads of knobs buttons and or sliders. It's fine as Volvo have done it, which is probably why they are Volvo, and I am just a bloke watching a video on youtube! ;o) I know stump grinders are done that way by Vermeer and they are very clever, but they are a much simpler beast in functionality. Oh well.........
@@AncientHermit With no operator the view would be better thru cameras.
@@AncientHermit It's all about intelligent swarming software! The excavators have to be as autonomous as possible and the control center is supervising the correct execution of the job configuration. People in the control center should not have to operate individual excavators, that's done by the swarming software.
Brokk makes remote operated electric powered compact equipment, they are battery powered or fed off of a transformer and an umbilical
Love how Volvo just throws Chris the keys to anything and let’s him run with it. If I bought one I know the first thing getting removed is.
That nerve wracking movement signal ?
@@tomrobinson6779 That's the point. It's much better at being noticed than a traditional beeper.
Sounds like a turkey buzzard fight. UmHummm it does. LOL
I agree that beeper is aggravating, that buzzer is worse, good golly!!!
I’d want to remove it, probably wait until the warranty has expired, that is terrible!!!
Yes, awesome. Chris probably the most recognized Volvo operator. Kudos to him!
They can't hear you digging but they can hear you leaving on the mini
That was definitely an odd sound...
@@crazyhumpy Supposedly the "white noise" beeper is not as loud as the normal ones, but it's easier to notice (safer). Dunno but seems the sound is odd enough that it would get your attention.
Imagine how quiet the job sites would be if everything was electric. Thanks Chris. JR
You could here all the cussing!!!
Quiet Right up until they start the diesel generator to charge all the electrical equipment.
yes and half day shits, no night shits, every things down. they may have there short term /work spot but not something a contractor or farm would ever buy, to replace the battery's is 70% of the machine, just like the cars but they cost more then the car. the bucket on the mini sounder like tin..
@@sciwolf359 BINGO!!! you win the prize!
Quiet until you put the jackhammer attachment breaking up concrete!!!
As technology evolves , charge times will decrease. I dig them both. They'd be great for demo. Stripping out old commercial buildings or stores. No fumes and quiet as Hell.
Also easy to arrange charging within driving range when the batteries are low. Not so good out in the field
@@stephenw2992 that's why you make sure you charge them up after you're done for the day. Bring back to the shop and charge it. More charging stations are popping up. I don't like electric vehicles but give it a chance. Ya still need fossil fuels to charge it and what's the carbon print when these batteries are no longer of service? How poisonous is this to the environment, short term and long term? How do you dispose of the spent batteries? I say let them try and sit back to watch the magic happen. Also if the batteries overheat and explode, how dangerous are they when this happens? See Greta and her TREE hugging thinking doesn't think about these things mentioned but pushes the narrative further along. We have bio diesel and E85. It boils down to who has the most to gain and get rich off of it👍👍
@@LIFEISHARDSTUPID Recycling of those batteries can reclaim almost 90%. Fire danger is much less than an internal combustion engine.
@@jbbuzzable Hard disagree unless it's got a turbo on it.
That is so awesome! That is such a versatile little machine!!!!
The warning buzzer with track movement sounds like a buzzard choking on a dead cat that crawled up a skunks butt.
I guess they’ll have to start installing charging stations in the woods….. 😂😂
Plug into the Current bushes.
Jeeez 3,000 years ago there was no diesel and no electric and they (the Flintstones) still got the job done......and the bears then were much much bigger
Yabba dabba doooo
*Wilmaaaaaa*
Perhaps we use a petrol generator to charge the battery what good is it, what happens when it gets in water?
@@philhunt9297 Yea you're right. They got it done. It took forever tho.
@@JCrook1028 And some of it lasted forever 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 - the old quote "They don't make em like that anymore" has a lot of meaning (or is that history)
That loader looks like a huge Sprint car. With a scoop on it.
We have been putting electric motors in stationary shovels for years. We converted a cat 330 that fed logs to the mill and have saved many thousands of dollars in fuel.
The mini be a great machine for grave diggers! So quiet! You would have to get rid of the duck that squawks every time it moves though. You wouldn't want to disturb the other customers
Definitely wouldn’t wake anyone up! I hate the duck! Cut the wires 🤣
That duck sounds like metal on metal. First time I heard that it took me a solid 10 seconds to realize it was a delivery van backing up.
This is louder than my diesel Kubota.... That's strange.
That moves pretty quick for a 6k pound machine. That shshshshsh would drive me crazy
NOW imagine the cost to fix the thing after it starts throwing codes. Like the Komatsu
Actually I don’t think it should have that many. 1 electric motor and 1 pump. No emissions, no engine codes, same electric over hydraulic valves. It all depends on how Volvo did the communication network?
I understand what your saying.... but the "codes" are mainly emissions stuff, this is likely way more reliable than a modern diesel powered machine.
It has it's own set of problems but I doubt reliability is one of them.
It should be more reliable but we'll find out over the next few years
@@gregnewlin1074 If its got a computer in it its going to have codes, especially when its even wired up to the seatbelt, and who knows what other EU rubbish regulations are built into it to go wrong once a bit of dirt gets into it
There's far less to go wrong with an electric vehicle than with an ICE powered one.
Hey Chris...Whatya got there?
Chris: I think it's an electric razor with a built in soup spoon. The bucket loader is even quieter than the electric mini excavator
🤣🤣
Looks like a short for loading trucks.
I'm not fully sold on electric machines. They might be somewhat practical if they never leave a job site so they are close to a charge station, but what if they have to be on a job site for say a week? Bring a diesel generator with you that has to run 12 hours to charge the batteries? It just doesn't make sense to me.
If you bring a generator, it would probably be better to bring a 400V one along with a fast charger as you'll be up to 80% capacity in about 50 minutes according to Volvo. I think the 12 hrs charge time is based on 110V (or the American 230V standard) as 230V/16A is specified at 5 hrs.
worthless
In which case you aren't the target customer for this type of machine especially if it's your only machine.
Electrical motors are much cheaper to run than a combustion engine plus less maintenance and last longer. Charging could be a challenge. Maybe they can someday be able to change batteries when needed like batteries on tools.
A Example of a "Mobile Solar Charging Station" : ua-cam.com/video/fc4ipgw3pAE/v-deo.html
one disadvantige : if you got a 5 hour job , and your batterys goes only 4 hours , then you have to spread your job over 2 days.( 2 times transport) and with diesel , you just take your can an fill het up.
they'd be amazing for urban construction and industrial use. would have been great on our family farm too. just imagine if we'd had something like electric forklifts for decades ;)
Battery life under heavy is not long enough. Work three hours charge three hours.
@@paulprigge1209 and the battery loses strength each time you charge. I will buy into this electric stuff when I get more than 2 years out of my iphone battery
@@truckguy6.7 Batteries are an intermediate solution. Hydrogen technologies seams to be more promising, but there is a wave for electric solutions (cars, trucks, equipment) and nobody wants to be left behind.
@@paulprigge1209 Charge 50 minutes on 400 vac though.
This is so cool! Not having to shout and being super efficient while it just plugs into any electric car charger... this opens up so many possibilities for the future!
Is Volvo finally going to start sponsoring the channel? Electric equipment and vehicles are amazing and powerful. Just wish the battery technology was there to last longer. Although lithium is better than lead acid but there still very limited.
those machines all have lithium batteries. the batteries are available. the future is now.
@@videopyc yes that’s what I’m saying. But lithium batterys are still limited. If you could run the machine for 8 hrs straight then they would be perfect. Or have it setup where the cells are easily swapped so that your not worried about running out of power on the job.
Does that explain it better
Gawd, I hope that they don’t. Turning LD18 into a promoter for Volvo makes him instantly unattractive (from a channel perspective). I don’t want to watch an equipment sales pitch ….bleh
@@genesispuredeaf2390 yeah I agree although I don’t see Chris going that route. Hes never spoke about any sponsor on any video, so I doubt he ever will. He already uses there equipment and talks highly about them so why would they pay him for it. It’s free advertisement for them. Although they should be giving him something atleast.
Lithium is far worse than oil, environmentally speaking. People always say "oh let's go green and use electric vehicles." The reality is it isn't all that green. Lithium has to be mined from the Earth. Lithium mines are huge and they are surface mines. Secondly, Lithium has to be processed to be used. The process to refine it so it can be made into a battery is extremely hazardous and toxic. Much more so than the oil refining process. Third, Lithium can't be recycled. Forth, it still won't eliminate oil as plastics and other byproducts will be used. Finally, oil gives us so many more products. It isn't just gas. The green industry is a joke.
Air conditioning ? That will kill battery life !
yea charging it up after each day is biggest hazard with this else you gotta spend hours driving to the shop to get it them drive it out to the job site to use it. then when day is done load it up bring it back to shop to charge it. rinse repeat next day which is gonna be what 1-2 hours easy depending on distance you drive daily.
Simple solution, put a diesel generator on a trailer and take it to the job site! They might make a good piece of permanent equipment at some type of manufacturing plant where it can be plugged in when not in use.
That's great equipment for Mines, Tunnels and indoor spaces.
Electric machines sure have come along way. Thanks for sharing Chris 👍
It is surprising that 6 months ago people were being really critical of electric plant machinery in some other UA-cam video on the Fully Charged show, they were really hating on them. But now people are starting to see the benefit of these machines and what they can do. Companies like Volvo and CAT are making more and more fully electric machines, the new machines may not be right for everyone, but most users should have no problem changing over.
Also the CAT mini digger i saw a while back came with a remote control too!
Fantastic to see the future and seeing you enthusiastic about it Chris.
That ain't the future buddy.
When you run out your 3 hours of battery life, then what? Look for the (diesel powered) generator for a recharge? Think, people, think. This isn't the future for field operations. Possibly a select few jobs that are close to utility supplied power, but not out in the swamp or building ponds in the woods.
@@scottalanclymer Where is anyone claiming this is for 'building ponds'? Do you know what a straw-man is?
@@inthedarkwoods2022 Great observation. The future has already arrived with these machines.
@@rabidbigdog You implied battery powered excavators are "the future". They would only be practical when the job is within a cord length of a power source. Most excavator work is far from a power source. This should be obvious. To imply this is the future indicates a lack of understanding of this concept. But you're the type who hates to be wrong and will want the last word to make yourself feel better. So, by all means, proceed.
Hey Chris, both pieces of equipment were really fascinating looking, but as soon as I saw the loader, I started having giant Tonka toys vides, lol.
Does it come with a big ass diesel generator that you run all night to charge it, or will it have a windmill on the roof? The big problem with the eco loons is that they think electric comes out of the wall by magic.
you hit the nail on the head!
Wow.... so, you are one of those "always skeptical" type of people. The problem with the NON-eco loons is that they don't have the ability to understand how technology advancements are outdating their own logic. Are we at a place where we could convert to 100% electric? Not even close. But one diesel generator running to charge 10 machines would require less fuel than 10 diesel machines running all day. Don't be so pessimistic. The world around you is changing whether you like it or not.
Windmills make flour wind turbines make electricity, just saying 😙
@@TheJgoodwin74 Maybe if the machines are doing a lot of idling the generator would use less diesel, but there is a loss in converting diesel to electric, so it would be more efficient to run busy machines off the diesel. It sounds like those non-eco loons are being perfectly reasonable about the limitations of electric machines. Sounds like you are one of those tech fans that has no idea about how technology really works.
@@DZCamaro-kz2vd
No.... actually, he didn't.
Like the idea of electric, but just like my e-golf cart, it gets expensive once batteries need replacing.
Yeah, it gets worse when you remember they likely went lithium-ion for the batteries. Great for electric power bad on the cost. The life span of them is usually about a decade though.
Diesel ain't getting any cheaper and batteries are. We fill our L20 loader probably 2 times a week, so maybe $60 a week. So you are looking at possibly $3000 a year for diesel. Electric car batteries last 8 to 10 years. So even half of that will get you 5. That's $15,000 worth of diesel that will go towards batteries. Not to mention oil changes and other diesel maintenance costs. The only real issue I would have would be the run time. I doubt you get all day out of either machine.
@@mulchman2000 I hear ya. I filled up my diesel pickup the other day, cost me $93. And I started with a little over 1/8 tank. Staying home more often! lol
@@mulchman2000 If they put batteries with the right amp-hours in you might get a full day but that would also drive the cost up a lot. They are trying to balance the cost vs performance curve to make the machines more interesting, no idea how well they managed it though.
It's also very bad for the environment to mine rare-earth minerals required to produce batteries. The only permanent solution is hydrogen.
Nice machines! If I was in the landscape business those would be my first option! Thanks for showing us Chris.
Very good point.
Night work. Residential areas. Emergency services. Indoors.
That wheel loader would be nice in barns/enclosed buildings
The 'I am moving!' alarm sounds like my grandmother's fridge door alarm.
The wheel loader seems to be more effective than the diesel model, though.
Darn, I thought it sounded like a goose being strangled.
how do you charge it up when sitting in the middle of a muddy field
With a diesel generator, how else?
Of course you would take it there, but for work in city centers it does not seem to be bad idea ;-) no worries, electric machinery will never replace conventional in many areas ;-)
@@skorpikh i wouldnt say never, but i can agree that we are not ready to completely switch over to electric yet, id say this machine is meant more for digging trenches or landscaping jobs
Plan ahead
Auxiliary extended service time generator sold separately
They just finished paving the road in front of us with these, and the guy said he just charges them in the weekend. For just moving stuff around a bit the battery is sufficient. In the middle of a city street these are awesome. No noise or smoke.
..does it come with a long extension cord for emergencies, or a jerry can full of batteries...lol...good one, stay well..
plug it in at a Tesla charging station, eat lunch
Apparently Chris can shave his head completely and use it as a solar panel to keep it charged up on sunny days 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
No. You recharge it. Most likely with a solar array on site. Duh.........
@@dudebuddy69 no need to be nasty he was making a joke
Yeah, this is not the solution, this is a politically driven agenda. The only permanent solution is hydrogen.
Chris this new EV equipment that Volvo is releasing is fantastic.. And hopefully only the beginning of a new EV line of light to heavy construction equipment for all manufacturers. Many thanks to Volvo for stepping up with cutting-edge technology. All electric is the future and this is only the beginning. Great video.
What's that noise whenever the tracks are engage? Some kind of white noise alarm?
I thought it was a good machine until I heard that
@@_nunnthewiser we have that noise all the way here in New Zealand too, they copied the uk, on that white noise alarm! So annoying when your neighbor has it fitted to his company work pickup truck, and he backs out of his driveway at 04:30 every morning!
It's the sound of money going down the drain. .
@@timfagan816 While both suck...I'd prefer the white noise gen to the traditional siren.
Love it. And future models will only get better with time. More power, and more battery life. I hope in the future you end up with a few. Imagine an electric 220 in the future. That would be epic.
CAT 323F Z-line looks to be about the size of a 220 but I might be wrong. I'm sure Volvo will be making larger excavators soon.
Designed for the weekend rental market.
I could see the loader being used on a dairy farm. Less stressful on the cows
Presently earth moving machines have been designed around the shape and size requirements of a Diesel engine. As electric starts to become more prevalent in machinery the designs will start to evolve to allow the inclusion of a larger battery and potentially a hot swappable battery option. Battery technology has/will improve over time also.
The design seems a bit of a miss to me. If you are going electric, ditch the hydraulics. Ball screw actuators with motorized nuts. The batteries would last way longer by not running a pump all the time. A pump that largely just dumps fluid back to the tank with little work accomplished.
I also think there is a good chance the digging force and actuation speed could be increased.
Can't manufacture that at scale. The factories that build this machine as a diesel can do all the same work and skip the engine.
There's a very small company that makes an electric farm tractor that uses linear actuators for that reason. I've tried to find some big actuators myself for an excavator build I'm doing, and they are very expensive. Tons of small ones that are just not fast enough for anything other than a dozer blade or small movements. Cable excavators are interesting though. You are right, an excavator can be much more efficient if you can avoid running that hydraulic pump as much as possible.
@@rich.trails I have been thinking about designing up some proper industrial linear actuators. There is no reason they need to be as expensive as they are, or have such poor performance. They will be more expensive than a hydraulic cylinder, but then you won't need the expensive pump and hoses, so it may start to balance out.
The motors should be integral to the actuator too, not hanging off the side like they do today.
Ya know, I never really thought about what noise the bucket actually makes. Now I know.
The best and cheapest promo video Volvo ever was able to get. Thanks to all.
Bring on the electric equipment. All we need is a technology step in batteries and they will be a good fit for lots of jobs. Remote refill might be an issue for now, but I doubt it will be that way for too long.
I would imagine the upfront cost of the machine would be pretty high, but in the long run the no emissions breaking expense and oil changes and such would make up for the cost savings in the long run! pretty cool machines. Does any of the other manufacturers make fully electric equipment like these? I have not seen any out there yet!
JCB has been making them for a few years now, Bobcat too, and now John Deere has jumped into the game.
If Chris doesn't like digging anymore, he could be a Volvo representative. 👍🤣
I wouldn't be surprised if a few bucks changed hands here.
As an operator and an avid ebike off road enduro style builder, 2 wheel drive, 2 battery packs, 5000 watt rear, 2000 watt front.... they need to make equipment but with battery packs that can swapped out easily, instead of having to wait for it to charge, just like an ebike, swap out battery and keep on running.... The new LTO cells have a huge cycle rate of about 50,000 charges and a much larger temperature zone in which they can work, most importantly for those of us in a colder climate, Canada, they can work down as low as about -30 or so.... I forget the exact specs right off the top of my head..but they also can discharge at about 350 amps, so 4 of those in series would be 120 amp hours @ 1400 amps :) much better than the current Li-ion batteries, even the new " Tesla " style 21700 cells, ok the samsung 40T can discharge at 35 amps.... and OR an extended run time battery pack you can say clip on the back....
If they put WiFi, camera's and remote control on it you can run it from your living room 😎
You are joking but there is actually such a thing. I think it was for people who physically cant operate the real machine. There is like a sim cockpit with screens for big equipment and small mobile ones that the cranes on semis often have.
There's a video of an excavator in South Korea being operated from Germany
We were in the same machine at the expo and my only complaint was the annoying back up alarm! LOL we were really impressed with the power and Comfort of this machine.
As these machines evolve i can see the true value of them. But right now i have nothing but questions. Thanks for the demo Chris
Yeah, the batterylife is the issue with these at the moment. When they get those batteries last longer it will get more viable but till then it's not really a work machine, more like lawn usage at home type of stuff.
@@Alhu90 I get it....sort of. Yes these battery powered (aka electric) machines are being designed & built and improved...to potentially reduce this so called "climate change" (aka global warming etc etc)
Facts
1 - The materials used for the batteries have finite resources - they eventually will be exhausted
2 - AFAIK and understand there's no recyclability of some of the components in batteries
3 - The Earth, through it's entire life, has always, since having/gaining an atmosphere, variable climate (aka climate change) from ice ages (several) to warm periods. I'm not saying mankind isn't affecting this change.
4 - Most westernised countries have done a tremendous amount to reduce "man's footprint" on the planet yet Asian countries which seem much more over populated pump out more harmful substances without question/challenge
If *we* resolve the first 2 issues (facts) and ignore, like many scientists, political leaders and environmentalists, the 3 fact - what would be the point...because the Asians are still going to f**k this all up anyway
Closing my bible, bowing my head as I place my 4kw megaphone (powered by 3 diesel generators) on to the solid gold lectern
ps I used to have a recycled soapbox and shout but I've decided to be like the Asians and not give a flying f....
@@philhunt9297 Yeah.. I agree on the point that as long as Asia does what it wants it doesn't matter what small countries do. I live in Finland wich emissions are about 0.1% of worlds and yet they want to quit fossilfuel usage on a very short period of time. It doesn't matter what we do here when there are countries with over 500x more population that don't give a F*** about anything.
@@Alhu90 Honestly wasn't having a dig there...just pointing out the blindingly obvious that many, especially those XR / Insulate Britain idiots refuse to acknowledge
My first thought about the electric mini is indoor work. And since it's small, could fit into some tight places.
The ability to recharge is what will limit the use & scope of these machines - not going to be viable on most of the projects we see Chris working on, as it's unfeasible to transport them to a charging point every night, then back every morning.
The infrastructure will adapt. Now on large sites it's normal to have a fuel tank on site. Instead, or in addition too, there will be charging ports on site.
Ahhh man! Now I have to build my grandson a bigger sandbox!!!!
as for the mini rep--I took a shot of Absolute Vodka every time he said absolutely , now I need a nap.
I dunno 🤷♂️ I’m not sold on electrical vehicles or definitely mhe yet…..old school I guess…..but I agree that manufacturers are building equipment better every year……time will tell……
Seen a few European channels getting demos of the mini excavator a couple of years ago but I am guessing they were preproduction units, and I am sure they are running development and testing of bigger electric equipment in China
How many windmills does it take to charge up the loader?
turbines*
Electric still has a long way to go
with no DPF issues, ever !
truck would need a proper 240V generator ?
how much are replacement LiPo battery packs ?
Both are impressive however Im curious how they would perform in cold conditions like an upstate New York State winter
Well they are tested in northern Sweden (inside the artic circle) during winter time so i would guess there is not an issue. They probably keep the battery pack warm with an heat exchanger. Heat from the hydraulic fluid transfered to coolant that circulates around the battery pack.
Or someplace cold like grand forks or northern Minnesota.
Volvo is Swedish so I think they know a thing or two about operating in cold climates
Same question as for electric cars- What exactly does the heater and air con do to run times? Being the suspicious PITA that I am I assume it was left out because the answers are not good selling points.
The only permanent solution is hydrogen.
It would be great for a landscaper, building retaining walls, digging for a water feature, in a small yard.
Come on you were just showing off on the excavator, quite impressive these machines cheers.
Very impressive machines. Electric vehicles are starting to come into their own. Cool stuff.
I agree. We’re lucky to be witnessing this technology change. However, the boss of JCB made a video explaining why electric doesn’t suit this market and made an argument for Hydrogen. Progress though, in whatever shape, is always welcomed. 👍
@@deetee6621
Electric batteries are particularly well suited for construction machines because they’re heavy.
I repair electric forklifts almost every day. We have around 50 or so in the different buildings at our yard in Astoria Queens alone. I see the truck fleet going electric in the next 10 years. Unfortunately I am retiring in the next two years so I will miss out on an exciting era.
Sounds like a cat coughing up a hairball when it moves.
Those "White Noise" alarms are the dumbest thing ever. Clearly legislated by some desk bound clown that has never set foot on a construction site.
This is awesome! Here we go, quiet construction sites, no toxic exhaust!
Those machines are cool....But its going to be a long time before they have the power and endurance of a diesel motor!
never will
Niche market product as they said, like working indoors say in a Mall or Car Park.
The problem i see, is if you are on site, how do you charge it. It's hard enough on site to find power to charge up your cordless drill.
You use a diesel or petrol powered generator of course... 🤣🤣
Well, you run a cable from the diesel generator on the back of your diesel truck, of course!
This isn't meant for those kind of jobs lol
Saw an interesting video of a gasoline powered van pulling a diesel powered Genset charging an electric car that had run out of charge along side of the highway.
@@kenore4003 just flat tow it an let regen charge the battery
The cost of the batteries are astronomical
Chris: hard ground to dig as chunks of blacktop come up.
Chris tells them he is going to dig and then punches through the parking lot. Volvo gets bill for venue damage. Oh well, guess we should have been clearer on limits with him. Next time.
Just needs the complimentary hamster wheel charging station.
Definitely the future, wind solar hydro & wave power just a matter of adapting.
I drove battery forklifts for a few years and an overnight charge was all it took for a days work with them. Great video bro and thanks for letting us tag along. Safe travels
My question is , how do you leave it on a job site over night or a week at a time ? you'll have to haul it to and fro every day ? We better start kissing China's ass if we want to get all the lithium we're going to need for all these electric machines we're going to need in the near future . Plus how are we going to supply all the electricity needed to charge a whole country's fleet of vehicles ?
Were you driving them all day? We used to fully charge 3 forks overnight but had to charge them in shifts through the day or we would end up with 2 dead and a cranky night shift crew
No not all day but used as needed, meaning they were not on the go all the time.
The over night charge concept works in an indoor environment where there is zero possibility of someone needing it at night and no one that might accidentally unplug it.
That sound while driving would be the first thing to go.
They look nice, but you have to take them "home" to charge every day, so can't leave them on the jobsite unless there is a decent charging possibility.
Lars did an excellent job with english not being his primary language... the Electric machines will have their place- I don't see them completely replacing the engine drives, but in time they will become a lot more prominent.. especially in the rental fleets..
How do you charge it when you are 100 acres away from power????
That moving alarm would be the first thing i mashed with the bucket, sounds like a wounded goose mixed with a dry metal track pin
So, how do you charge all electric equipment when it's out on location?
A $12,000 diesel generator.
@@danburch9989 🤣
You know, the power is coming out of the power plug!!! It's like the milk coming from the super market, cows are not needed anymore!
These are more for small day jobs and landscape centers. As they were saying, for loading trucks with whatever material they come to pick up. Use it during the day and charge it at night. For it to be practical out on remote job sites, Volvo would need to either build an extended run time machine or like Dan said, charge it with a gen set. But for day jobs, I can see this being a game changer. If the batteries hold up. Those are definitely LiFePO or similar. Expensive as hell, but pound for pound they are the king in the battery world.
@@aquaden8344 the fuck are you talking about
Super quiet & nice display! But the buzzer omg get rid of that! All in all Well done Volvo!
Those machines are amazing
❤ Lars! ....not ONE "absolutely"! 😉
These are the bomb for CERTAIN applications, Chris.
Bet it feels odd with the sound of it, when moving or digging.. lolol.. That was pretty cool !! Thanks for sharing Chris... Great as always Man !! Have a Great Evening !! And, On too the Next...
that constant humming/buzzing noise would get to me after awhile lol
"Kwiss,we should lend you one for a year ,to make up for the Volvo issues ,and for your contribution to the Volvo brand 😂😂
Don't think anyone better than Chris for putting this thing through its paces.
The electric loader and Excavator look like the tools of the future. I can see where like you said it would be great inside or at night.
They look like, but they aren't. Batteries are no where near strong enough, cant charge fast enough, and require electricity to charge aka a generator.
@@christopherwebber1104 the weak knee of electrics right now is capacity and charge time. But an electric motor has maximum torque at zero speed so they are very good at high torque. So I disagree that they aren't strong enough. Battery technology is advancing more than ever before. An electric excavator has it's place but still not able to hold it's own to one that runs on diesel or gas yet as though can be refilled in minutes. I could see the big niche for electric equipment as really good for indoor work or closed in work. The OEM obviously sees a marketplace for it so they are producing it. Remember it's not whether or not you want it but that there are enough people out that that want it.
@@danielmarek4609 I agree with strength, I am saying run time. Watched a video and it was stated 2 hrs run time digging. If it has a direct high amp plug so it can run constantly it would be awesome for indoor, except the wire defeats the purpose
@@christopherwebber1104 the thing that would displace diesel or gas powered equipment is fast charging batteries (minutes not hours) and charge duration. The duration has to meet or exceed what you currently get traditionally. With all of the focus now on electric anything there is a lot of dollars pouring into battery research. If we could see into the future to a day when you can recharge in minutes I'm sure that the battery technology of that day will be different from the batteries of today. Tesla for instance has really pulled the technology ahead a lot. Tesla has their electric semi on the way and that alone will focus their efforts to solve power for industrial use.
@@danielmarek4609 totally agree on charge rate, or what I think also is interchangeable batteries like AA for car world. It's just everyone only will make proprietary crap. Tesla semi is junk because of battery weight. Payloads much less than standard diesel truck.
Absolutely amazing!!! Cannot wait for the future of Electric Heavy Equipment (and vehicles) to be refined and innovated!
Electric has its place and yard machinery where power is available seems like a good fit, or in the case of the mini-ex, inside jobs with limited ventilation. I think most job sites would be an issue unless you could get that 240v power station set up and that's just not an option too often. Liquid fuel still wins in most cases as the down-time to re-fuel/re-charge is WAY lower and the energy density of the fuel is so much higher than current battery tech, it counters the efficiency of the electric motors.
Here in Europe you have 1-phase 230 V available everywhere and also 3-phase 400 v in most houses and other buildings, so it's easy to get it charged here. If you're buidling a new road or pond in the middle of nowhere power might be harder to come by thoguh.
CRAZY, my next door neighbor is Lars Arnold, one of the Volvo reps you spoke with. I told him I follow you!
I bet you are still gonna keep your 220. Back in the 1980s and 90s the Mech.Contractor resorted to using LPG machines during inside rework of package lines at Jax. A-Busch. Electric machines will be the go to from now on as long as operators do NOT bury them in mud holes. I doubt the battery and motor connections are waterproof.
It will take about 5.5 hrs to fully recharge with a 230v/16a charging system. If you go to a 400v/32 amp charger, you can fully recharge it in 1.5 hrs. IF you have a charger that's conveniently located near the excavator or load it up and take it to home base. This proably has fewer maintenance requirements other than greasing all the moving parts.
Let me guess how people will charge it: with a diesel generator.
Wall 220 probably. These are ideal for indoor arenas and also the mini will be ideal for retail repairs like pipe burst the diesels are not going anywhere but these open a whole new way to use the machines
every work site ive been on has had mains power tho
I thought this too. But even big mines once developed have power. It's an advantage not having to run large fuel trucks all the time. Perhaps to develop the sites in the beginning yes. The disadvantage is range and charge times. Usually the mines run the equipment nearly 24/7 in shifts with a brief shutdown to refuel. But I think the technology will overcome this. Strides have already been made with advced batteries and high power supper charging.
@@ryrylandcripps5811 Don't forget cemeteries too! I also own a concrete vault manufacturing factory because the cemetery is kind of a swamp and the machines would fall into sinkholes if we didn't have these concrete vaults capping every grave. That factory is just about 850 yards away from where the equipment parks today. They can just drive to the factory at lunch to charge, and at the end of the shift. The machines will just park at the factory now lol. That factory has 400vac.
@@hithere7382 yes very few applications where electric will not work. Perhaps for development projects they can use hydrogen fuel cells to charge. Green hydrogen will be very expensive however.
Such a cute thing... it's weeping when it works lol.