Volvo CE and Hitachi Energy have signed an MOU to support and accelerate the deployment of battery electric construction equipment powered by a clean, renewable energy supply that’s backed by intelligent energy storage and management.
Global demand for cleaner, quieter construction projects is driving equipment brands like Volvo and Hitachi to develop new, more efficient electric vehicles to offer their customers. Developing those new products takes money, however – and the better that new stuff is at operating in a broader job site ecosystem the easier it will be to deploy.
To that end, a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Volvo CE and Hitachi Energy is commiting the two companies to work together as they assess a number of potential technical and commercial concepts for zero-emission construction and manufacturing equipment. The agreement emphasizes broad systems integrations and site-level operational execution, and includes joint work on business models and go‑to‑market strategies.
“Electrification is a game changer in the decarbonization puzzle, particularly for hard‑to‑abate environments such as construction sites,” explains Niklas Persson, CEO of Grid Integration at Hitachi Energy. “As construction operations become more electric and more complex, success depends less on individual technologies and more on system‑level integration, strong execution, and close collaboration with partners like Volvo CE who share our ambition to enable zero‑emission construction at scale.”
It’s dangerous to go alone
Despite Volvo Group’s broad scope of products covering heavy trucks, construction equipment, and – through Volvo Penta – energy storage and management systems, no one company is big enough to handle every aspect of construction and mining on their own. To that end, joining with Hitachi makes sense, as the company’s work on supermassive electric haul trucks and HyFlex hydrogen fuel cells don’t directly compete with any Volvo CE products, and could support the deployment of Penta-branded BESS assets, as well.
“Strategic partnerships such as this with Hitachi Energy are key to accelerating the transition to zero-emission construction,” offers Melker Jernberg, President of Volvo CE. “By combining complementary expertise and delivering a complete, integrated solution, we are giving customers the confidence, security, and peace of mind they need to adopt emission-free operations today.”
The official press release announcing the MOU stated that the initial focus of the partnership would be business and go‑to‑market‑oriented, with an eye towards seamless integration between machines, electrical infrastructure and energy management systems.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Volvo CE.
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