Hydraulic hybrid excavator from Volvo cuts fuel use by up to 15 percent

The Volvo EC300E Hybrid is making its debut in the North American market and is now available for order. It will be showcased at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2020.

Unlike other systems that capture the swing energy of an excavator's superstructure to electrically assist the engine, Volvo's hydraulic hybrid takes ‘free' energy generated by the boom down motion and uses it to reduce fuel consumption.

The powerful and regular boom-down motion charges 5.2 gallon (20 litre) hydraulic accumulators, which then deliver energy to drive hydraulic assist motors that help power the hydraulic pump. There are the same levels of controllability and performance as the standard EC300E, including the ability to work in ECO Mode and Hybrid Mode simultaneously.

Rapid payback in dig and dump applications

This capability takes load off the engine and in the process delivers up to 15% lower fuel consumption and 12% less CO₂ emissions than a conventional machine. When used in high production ‘dig and dump' applications - especially those within a 90° swing - the fuel saving payback is approximately two years, and all with no loss of performance.

Not only is the idea simple, but the componentry is too, consisting of just a few add-on components that are simple to maintain. At this time, the hybrid system is not available for aftermarket installation.