As part of its commitment to lead the sustainability transformation and accelerate the shift to electromobility, Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) has invested in Dutch firm Limach, a manufacturer of electric excavators for the domestic market.
The majority investment in Electric Special Technics B.V – which operates under the brand name Limach – complements Volvo CE’s long-term electrification roadmap and provides the opportunity to swiftly broaden the electromobility portfolio and add to the five electric compact machines currently available, further extending what is already the widest range on the market.
Limach offers customised electric wheeled and crawler excavators to the Dutch market. An innovative company, it applies proven Li-Ion battery technology to develop first-class electrical construction machines using conventional Volvo CE products as a base.
“Climate change is real and we believe collaborating in new ways is key to meet the growing demand for sustainable solutions,” said Thomas Bitter, Head of Technology at Volvo CE. “As a leader in electric construction solutions, we see Limach as an interesting actor in a progressive market, and a great complement to our existing portfolio of electric machines, meaning our customers will benefit from a broader range to suit their requirements.
“Working together, and with our combined customer base, opens opportunities for co-learning and expanding experiences of these types of solutions, as we continue driving the transformation towards sustainable power sources.”
The current range extends from the compact E18.3 electric mini excavator with an operating range of 1,810kg to the E140.1, which packs an operating weight of over 14,000 kg and complements Volvo CE’s existing range of electric machines. Together, they offer customers a variety of solutions to meet their emission reduction ambitions, says Henri de Groot, CTO at Limach
The internal combustion engine on select excavators will be replaced by a Limach developed electrification kit.
Rens de Bruijn, CEO at Limach, said: “Limach was established with the purpose to develop construction equipment with an electric drive. Each machine is custom-made at our production facility in Ede in the Netherlands and delivered according to customer specifications. Since the development of our first demonstrator excavator in 2017, we have seen growing demand from customers in the Netherlands. Thanks to the investment from Volvo CE, we can scale-up production of our electric excavators and extend the range we offer to meet this growing appetite for electric drives.”
Limach will continue to operate as a standalone company. The transaction is not expected to have a significant impact on the Volvo Group’s earnings or financial position.
