Volvo Construction Equipment announced today that it has joined an initiative to electrify construction heavy equipment in the United States. The first step in the initiative is to build vehicle charging infrastructure through the country.
According to the company:
The Sweden-U.S. Green Transition Initiative, a collaborative program founded by Business Sweden, the Embassy of Sweden in U.S.A., the Swedish Energy Agency, and Sweden’s innovation agency Vinnova, is thrilled to announce a new partnership to electrify the construction industry. The consortium, represented by industry leaders Atlas Copco Group, Husqvarna Construction, and Volvo Construction Equipment, marks a milestone in the journey towards a more sustainable construction sector.
With the aim of demonstrating the potential of electrified construction equipment, the consortium will initially focus on the construction of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in the United States, utilizing exclusively electrified machines. This marks the first-ever collaboration of its kind among these companies, showcasing their commitment to sustainability and innovation. These industry pioneers are at the forefront of developing cutting-edge electrified construction equipment, such as excavators, wheel loaders, portable air compressors, energy storage systems and concrete power cutters.
"The future of construction equipment is electric. There may not be an electric alternative for every application yet, but in Atlas Copco Group, we already have a wide range of electric solutions available and are committed to further developments. We are proud to be delivering real-world solutions to help our customers and their customers adopt a more energy efficient way of working," says Bert Derom, president of Atlas Copco Portable Air Division.
“We look forward to contributing our expert knowledge along with equipment and diamond tools from the light construction industry to support this journey toward creating low CO2 emission construction sites. This partnership is a great opportunity to show how we can support the construction industry to lower its fossil dependency,” said Karin Falk, president, Husqvarna Construction.
“Volvo CE is advancing sustainable power in the construction industry with our lineup of low- and zero-emission heavy equipment, yet we know collaboration will be critical to bring about the type of holistic change that is truly needed,” said Ray Gallant, vice president, product management and productivity at Volvo CE North America. “We’re excited to join other well-respected, like-minded companies to demonstrate how these green alternatives can be used to help deliver the infrastructure improvements we need.”
The Sweden-U.S. Green Transition Initiative aims to accelerate Swedish American collaboration in the transition toward a low-carbon economy. Since the opening of its Washington D.C. office in November 2022, it has established pilot projects that showcase innovative solutions, with the goal of paving the way for a green transition. With support from the Embassy of Sweden in U.S.A., Business Sweden, the Swedish Energy Agency, and Sweden's innovation agency Vinnova, the initiative promotes more sustainable solutions in various sectors.
Those interested in learning more about the electrification of the construction industry and, specifically, how EV charging infrastructure can be built using electrified construction machines, are welcome to the Green Transition Summit on 2 October. The event will provide insights into available and future technology enabling sustainability transformation of the construction and infrastructure development sectors.
