Volvo CE brings electric machine production to US

Volvo CE (Construction Equipment) has launched the DD25 Electric compactor production in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, bringing electric machine production to the US. By 2030, 35% of its product line should be electric.

Like its Cars and Trucks counterparts, Volvo Construction Equipment has also started its electric transformation. The company already offers several electric machines in the small and mid-size segments, mostly diggers, and now production of the first American-built machine has kicked off in Shippensburg.

Electric asphalt compactor

The first electric machine developed and built in the US is the DD25 Electric, a small double-drum asphalt compactor used for street repairs, parking lots, and driveways. It features a 20 kWh battery, allowing it to be used for “a full shift on a single charge, depending on the type of job”. Recharging takes three hours with a Level 2 240VAC charger.

The DD25 Electric will be built on the same assembly line as its diesel counterparts, eliminating the need for further investment in the production facility. Volvo CE does promise more jobs and extra training for the workforce.

Thanks to IRA

Volvo already builds diesel compactors in its Shippensburg plant and electric machines in its European plants. Still, the incentive for producing the electric version in the US has come from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which subsidizes American production of zero-emissions vehicles.

Volvo CE has been building electric compact machines since 2020 and wants 35% of its sales to be electric by 2035. Batteries won’t be the only solution; by the mid-2020s, hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) will also be part of the range.