Leading French contractor Eiffage has launched a new generation of zero-emission products and has taken delivery of a fully electric Volvo FE electric truck and a Volvo ECR25 electric mini excavator, becoming the first company in France to receive these products.
The first electric Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) machine and the first all-electric Volvo FE truck have just been delivered in France, signaling that the long-term global transition to more sustainable transport and infrastructure solutions is accelerating.
The recipient of the new products – Volvo FE electric truck with electric crane and Volvo ECR25 electric compact excavator – is Eiffage, a leading French contractor and long-term Volvo customer. The machines support Eiffage’s low carbon strategy and will be used in the French capital’s ambitious Grand Paris Express transport project. It is a rapid transit scheme under construction in the French capital that will add 200 kilometers (120 miles) of new track and 68 new stations, eventually serving 2 million passengers a day.
The first all-electric products from Volvo Trucks and Volvo Construction Equipment were unveiled in a small ceremony in Paris. The event was attended by Eiffage Group CEO Benoit de Ruffray, as well as representatives from Volvo Trucks and Volvo Construction Equipment’s French teams. Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, Volvo Group CEO Martin Lundstedt, Volvo Construction Equipment President Melker Jernberg and Volvo Trucks President Roger Alm participated digitally.
“By 2030, we want more than a third of the machines sold by the Volvo Group to be electric. We can’t do this alone, we want to do it together with our customers, partners like Eiffage and wider society. Today is an exciting milestone in the journey to shape the future of transport and infrastructure.”
Volvo Group CEO Martin Rundstedt.
“Today’s delivery of this electric truck and construction machine is the beginning of a revolution in transportation and infrastructure solutions. There is no doubt that electric motors will not remain a niche product area. In the years and decades to come, they will become a major source of low- or emission-free electricity. When combined with clean energy, their potential to support climate change goals, improve air quality and help build the world we all want to live in cannot be underestimated. I’m delighted that we are starting this journey with friends such as Alfaci.”
Melker Jernberg, President, Volvo CE
“The support of forward-thinking customers like Eiffage is important for the future development of sustainable transportation solutions. Maintaining a close dialogue with customers means we all learn faster and together accelerate the necessary transition to a fossil fuel-free future.”
Roger Alm, President Volvo Trucks
For Volvo Construction Equipment and Volvo Trucks, the first delivery in France represents an important and real step on their path to zero emissions. With low noise and vibration levels and no exhaust fumes, electric trucks and machines are ideally suited to meet stringent environmental regulations in urban areas, confined spaces or specific projects. They offer new opportunities for urbanization and road infrastructure.
The Volvo FE electric 6X2 truck is manufactured at the Volvo plant in Blainville-sur-Orne, France. It will be used to transport and collect tools and spare parts for the demolition works of the T2B sections of Line 1, Line 16 and Line 15 of the Grand Paris Express project. It will cover approximately 150 kilometers per day – all with zero exhaust emissions.
The Volvo ECR25 electric compact excavator will be used by Eiffage to support demolition and demolition activities, also with zero CO2 emissions and significantly lower noise and vibration levels than conventional diesel engine machines. The 2.5 ton machine offers the same performance as a diesel engine and its battery pack provides four hours of operating time, depending on the application. The Volvo ECR25 electric vehicle is developed and manufactured at Volvo Construction Equipment’s Bailey plant in France.