Volvo Construction Equipment tests first ever EC500 Electric pre-build machine in Norway

The EC500 Electric is a 50-tonne class electric excavator designed to deliver the same performance as the conventional EC500 while offering flexible electric operation through both grid connection and onboard battery power.

This is an important milestone in the development of our electric excavator offering. By testing the EC500 Electric pre-build machine together with customers in real applications, we are building the product around the realities of the job site – helping us to strengthen machine reliability and provide even more quality assurance. The feedback we receive from Norway will be invaluable as we continue to develop a high-performance electric solution designed to achieve optimum results in demanding applications.

Electric performance in the 50-tonne class

The EC500 Electric pre-build machine has been developed to deliver the same high levels of performance customers expect from the EC500, while introducing a flexible electric power system. the ability to operate on onboard battery power, or in combination with a grid connection supported by the battery system, the machine gives customers greater flexibility in how electric power is used on site.

Equipped with a cable reel, the EC500 Electric machine can operate while connected to the grid, supported by its onboard battery system. Battery capacity enables 2-3 hours of working, depending on application and operating conditions, while also supporting intelligent grid energy management.

The intelligent electric system is designed to adapt to various grid conditions on a 400V base, helping customers manage the practical realities of site power availability, providing greater flexibility while reducing the demands placed on job site power infrastructure.

With onboard battery capacity, the EC500 Electric can move, load and unload, relocate for blasting, or continue working without grid connection, helping operations stay productive even when access to power is restricted. Combined with intelligent grid energy management, the battery system can also support peak shaving and adapt to varying grid conditions, reducing the need for high-capacity grid infrastructure, helping customers lower investment costs and increase the feasibility of electric power, while maintaining the performance required from a 50-tonne class machine.

Developed in partnership with customers

Customer input is central to the development of the EC500 Electric. By testing the machine in live working environments, Volvo CE is able to gather detailed feedback on machine behaviour, performance, charging and grid connection, operator experience and practical site integration.

This collaborative approach ensures that the machine is developed not only around technical considerations, but around the day-to-day requirements of customers working in some of the most demanding applications.

The machine is currently being put to work across a range of demanding customer applications, including quarrying, road building and tunnel projects. The purpose of the testing programme is to gather direct customer input into the final stages of development, with insights from the customer testing programme in Norway feeding directly into the final development of the product, ensuring the machine is refined in line with real job site requirements.

The EC500 is expected to be for sale from Spring 2027 with serial delivery from the end of 2027.