Volvo shares electric charging protocol

29 June 2023

To achieve greater uniformity and to accelerate transformation, Volvo Construction Equipment is making available its 48V DC protocol for electric charging solutions. 

The manufacturer states that there is currently no industry standard for such systems for electric compact machines, often meaning that users require multiple different chargers if they have a multi-branded fleet.

Volvo CE is publishing its own brand-agnostic software protocol, as well as plug specifications, used on its 48V off-board DC chargers. This would enable other OEMs and suppliers to use it in developing their own systems for such equipment.

Fredrik Tjernström, Electromobility Solutions Sales at Volvo CE, said: “By making our charging interface public, we hope that we will see more and more charging solution providers and other machine OEMs using one and the same charging protocol – moving us a step closer to an industry standard for the benefit of customers everywhere.”

Volvo CE uses a 48V power supply for its smallest compact machines including the ECR18 Electric (pictured), EC18 Electric and ECR25 Electric mini excavators, the L20 Electric and L25 Electric compact wheel loaders and the DD25 Electric asphalt compactor.

A 600V power supply is used for heavier equipment and Volvo says that there is already an industry standard protocol for this voltage, designed by the automotive industry.

● Volvo CE recently announced the formation of a new Compact Business Unit within its operation to focus on the growth potential in this market segment, particularly owing to the shift towards electrification. 

The manufacturer states that compact equipment now represents 50 per cent of the total market, compared against 35 per cent ten years ago.