Volvo invests in electric excavator specialist

Volvo Construction Equipment has taken a majority stake in Limach, a Dutch producer of electric excavators.

Volvo’s investment in Electric Special Technics BV – which operates under the brand name Limach – is designed to boost the Swedish company’s long-term electrification plans.

The deal adds to the five electric compact machines that Volvo already offers, “further extending what is already the widest range on the market”, it said.

Limach offers customised electric wheeled and crawler excavators to the Dutch market. It uses standard Volvo products as a base and changes the power source to lithium-ion batteries.

“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,” said Thomas Bitter, head of technology at Volvo Construction Equipment.

“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,” he added.

Limach’s current range extends from the compact E18.3 electric mini excavator with an operating range of 1,810kg to the E140.1, which has an operating weight of more than 14 tonnes.

Limach chief executive Rens de Bruijn 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.