Volvo CE completes production facility upgrade to meet electric wheel loader demand
The plant in Arvika, Sweden, has been upgraded to build electric wheel loaders as part of Volvo’s larger push toward electrification
As another step on the company's journey toward decarbonization, Volvo CE has upgraded its Arvika wheel loader production facility to incorporate the production of compact electric wheel loaders. The facility specializes in manufacturing medium and large wheel loaders, and the upgrades were completed in the year following the announcement of a $6.3 million US investment into the production of electric wheel loaders at the facility.
The building in Arvika is approximately 1,500 square metres and the updates allow the site to free up areas inside its existing factory for the production of electric wheel loaders. Designated an after flow facility, it is where wheel loaders come for the final stage in the production process and where visitors can test drive the latest machines fresh from the assembly line.
Sweden's Prince Carl Philip not only toured the new facilities and met the people who are driving the transformation in Arvika, but also tested out the Volvo L110, one of the wheel loaders being produced there.
Melker Jernberg, head of Volvo CE, said: "This new facility is an inspiration for a future built on sustainable solutions. We are proud to be at the forefront of industry change with large-scale investments, not just here in Arvika but around the globe, that support a transformation toward electrification. Together, we are moving closer toward fossil-free machines."
Upgrades are part of Volvo's larger push toward electrification
The unveiling comes in the middle of a busy year of product and service launches for Volvo CE, which is committed to enabling sustainable change for customers.
While this represents the first step in electrification for the site, Arvika has already moved to reduce its internal climate footprint by 350 tons of carbon dioxide through a variety of emission reduction efforts in recent years.
Mikael Liljestrand, general manager at Arvika, said, "Action on climate change is nothing new to us here in Arvika, but it is incredibly exciting to see our vision come to life with these new facilities. We now have the framework in place to drive electrification and expand our growing global portfolio of electric wheel loaders. This will have a positive impact on our industry and society as a whole, but it is also a personal journey for each of us here in Arvika who are playing a significant role in building a more sustainable future."
