Volvo Ce Boosts Its Electrification Transformation with Investment in Dutch Manufacturer Limach
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.
Limach offers customized 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 more than 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, said Henri de Groot, chief technology officer at Limach.
Electrification kit replaces I.C. engines
The internal combustion engine on select excavators will be replaced by a Limach-developed electrification kit.
Rens de Bruijn, CEO of 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.
About the Author
Michael Roth
Editor
Michael Roth has covered the equipment rental industry full time for RER since 1989 and has served as the magazine’s editor in chief since 1994. He has nearly 30 years experience as a professional journalist. Roth has visited hundreds of rental centers and industry manufacturers, written hundreds of feature stories for RER and thousands of news stories for the magazine and its electronic newsletter RER Reports. Roth has interviewed leading executives for most of the industry’s largest rental companies and manufacturers as well as hundreds of smaller independent companies. He has visited with and reported on rental companies and manufacturers in Europe, Central America and Asia as well as Mexico, Canada and the United States. Roth was co-founder of RER Reports, the industry’s first weekly newsletter, which began as a fax newsletter in 1996, and later became an online newsletter. Roth has spoken at conventions sponsored by the American Rental Association, Associated Equipment Distributors, California Rental Association and other industry events and has spoken before industry groups in several countries. He lives and works in Los Angeles when he’s not traveling to cover industry events.