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Volvo Announces PU750 & PU130 Chargers For Recharging Battery-Electric Heavy Machinery
Volvo Construction Equipment and Volvo Penta recently introduced a pair of mobile charging units at Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo. The companies developed the new PU750 and the PU130 in collaboration with leading manufacturers to support off-road electric machinery on jobsites. The PU750 can fast-charge larger machines on-site without needing an AC/DC converter, and the portable PU130 Level 2 charger can re-energize more compact equipment.
“Battery-electric equipment is not feasible for every jobsite or application, but its use cases continue to grow,” says Dr. Ray Gallant, vice president of sustainability and productivity services at Volvo CE. “We all have a common goal to revolutionize the landscape of sustainable technology within the heavy equipment sector. Collaborating on these products allows us to make significant steps forward in the adoptability of electric machines.”
The Volvo PU750
Volvo cooperated closely with Utility Innovation Group (UIG) as the latter developed and built the PU750 using a Volvo Penta battery subsystem. The mobile charging unit is easy to transport and is adaptable to various infrastructure setups. It can supply 500 kilowatts of DC for fast vehicle charging and 480 kW of AC recharging power.
The manufacturer says that with a storage capacity of around 793 kilowatt-hours, the PU750 can recharge three to four midsize machines like Volvo’s EC230 Electric excavator through dual CCS1 connections. The unit also supports CCS2 charging connectors.
“It’s not always clear what power availability you will have for charging on a jobsite, but this solution has been strategically developed to put our microgrid integration and GridSure expertise to work to dynamically adapt to all utility and on-site generation conditions,” says UIG President Derek Tugwell.
When using UIG’s grid-interactive power system, the rugged PU750 can maximize the available AC power and channel other distributed energy assets on the jobsite into its charging operations. The unit can use the GridSure microgrid platform to track and manage the recharging of multiple machines. The PU750 also has solar panels to power its controls and provide auxiliary off-grid system support.
“We’re really excited about how this solution will drive adoption of electrified off-road equipment and help drive decarbonization,” Tugwell says.
The Volvo PU130
The PU130 is a portable charger for compact battery-electric equipment. Volvo partnered with Portable Electric on the unit, which uses the latter’s proprietary 48-volt direct current fast charging (DCFC) technology to recharge machinery in less than an hour at a 20-kW rate. At the same time, the PU130 can supply 40 kW of AC site power.
"We are incredibly proud to partner with Volvo CE in bringing the PU130 to market,” says Portable Electric CEO Keith Marett. “This first-of-its-kind unit is a testament to our shared dedication and the importance of collaboration to reduce the use of carbon-intensive fuels at construction sites.”
The PU130 has 130 kWh of energy storage capacity and supports Neuron OS telematics for wireless monitoring, data collection, analytics, and GPS location. The charger will be available from North American Volvo dealers later in 2024.
Source: Volvo