Helping to launch a new generation of zero exhaust emissions products, French contractor Eiffage took delivery on December 17 of an all-electric Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) FE electric truck with electrically powered crane and a Volvo ECR25 electric compact excavator – becoming the first recipient of the products in France.
The machines will support Eiffage’s low carbon strategy and will be put to work on the ambitious Grand Paris Express transport project in the French capital. This is a rapid transit initiative being built in the French capital that will add 120 miles of new track and 68 new stations, ultimately serving 2 million passengers a day.
The handover of these first all-electric products was marked with a small ceremony in Paris. It was attended by Benoit de Ruffray, Eiffage group CEO, and representatives of Volvo Truck and Volvo CE’s France-based teams. Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, Martin Lundstedt, Volvo group CEO, Melker Jernberg, Volvo CE president, and Roger Alm, Volvo Trucks president, participated digitally.
“By 2030, we want over a third of the machines the Volvo Group sells to be electric. We can’t do this alone. We want to do this together with our customers, partners like Eiffage, and the wider society,” said Lundstedt. “Today is an exciting landmark on this journey to shape the future of transport and infrastructure.”
“Today’s deliveries of this electric truck and construction machine is the start of a revolution in transport and infrastructure solutions,” agreed Jernberg. “Make no mistake, electric machines are not going to remain a niche product area. Over the course of the next years and decades, they will become the dominant source of low-or-no emission power. When coupled with clean energy, their potential to support climate change goals, improve air quality, and help build the world we all want to live in cannot be underestimated.”
“The support from forward-thinking customers like Eiffage is important for the future development of sustainable transport solutions. Keeping a close dialogue with customers means that we all learn faster and together can accelerate the necessary transition into a fossil-free future," said Alm.
This first delivery in France represents an important and real step on the way to zero emissions. Thanks to their low noise and vibration levels and absence of exhaust gases, electric trucks and machines are well suited to meeting tough environmental regulation in urban areas, confined spaces or specific works. They offer new opportunities for urbanization as well as road infrastructures.
The FE electric 6X2 truck was built at the Volvo plant of Blainville sur Orne in France. It will be used to deliver and collect tools and spare parts for demolition works of Part 1 – line 16 and Part T2B of line 15 of the Grand Paris Express project. It will do around 150 km per day.
The ECR25 electric compact excavator will be used by Eiffage in support of demolition and dismantling activities, providing zero CO2 emissions and far lower noise and vibration levels than traditional diesel engine machines. The 2.5-ton machine has the same performance as its diesel counterpart, and its battery pack offers four hours work time, depending on application. It was developed and built at Volvo CE’s Belley factory in France.
