Volvo CE wins Red Dot award for new electric design

 
A global team of Volvo engineers and designers picked up a Red Dot Product Design award for the L120 Electric at an awards ceremony on Tuesday July 8. The sleek shape of the battery-electric machine symbolizes a new era of electromobility – in contrast to the industry’s ‘boxy’ diesel wheel loaders. The thoughtful design supports improved visibility, safety and sustainability and is the first of its kind within Volvo’s broad portfolio of electric solutions.

The quality and design of the L120 Electric wheel loader won over an international judging panel to scoop a coveted Red Dot Product Design award at the annual ceremony in Essen, Germany this week. The Red Dot is one of the world’s largest and most respected design competitions and recognizes outstanding achievements in product and industrial design.

The machine’s modern look was the result of a year of bold thinking by technology and design teams from Jinan in China, and Eskilstuna and Gothenburg in Sweden. This award achievement is therefore a testament to the power of global collaboration.

A new look for a new era of electric

Peter Reuterberg, Senior Chief Advanced Designer for Volvo CE, said: “I’m happy we won this award but I’m especially happy that we won it for this machine. The change from diesel to electric gave us the opportunity to think differently and strive for big impact. Our hope is that this new silhouette will be instantly recognizable as electric.”

The streamlined frame of the electric loader is made possible because of the removal of a combustion engine. The result is a transformation from a boxy’ rear end common to diesel machines into a sleeker shape for the new era of electric.

The new look L120 Electric captured the attention of Red Dot’s panel of judges.

Unique electric design for enhanced visibility

If designers replaced the combustion engine with larger-in-size batteries, this would have not only created a ‘bulkier’ shape but would have also reduced visibility from the cab. As wheel loaders are designed to be driven both forwards and backwards in equal measure, all-round visibility is crucial to their safe and efficient operation.

Instead, engineers and designers worked together on a more thoughtful solution and agreed to integrate the batteries into the counterweight of the machine. The heavy weight of a battery is often seen as a problem in electric machine design, but in this case, the battery is being used to replace a concrete counterweight required for wheel loaders.

The result is a machine that not only looks great, but provides enhanced visibility, safety and sustainability compared to traditional diesel variants.

Annie Gao, Product Platform Engineer at the Jinan Technology Center, Volvo CE China, said: “When we debuted the machine it marked a significant breakthrough, truly capturing the spirit of an electric vehicle. It is our relentless pursuit of innovation, close attention to detail, and commitment to quality that made this possible.”

The new shape ensures excellent all-round visibility for the operator.