When heavy equipment operator Rhonda Lepori revs up the LX01 wheel loader to transport green waste around the landfill, she has to be careful to not sneak up on other workers. “It’s a quick machine, but it’s quiet, so you have to watch out because other people don’t really hear you coming,” she says.
The LX01 is Volvo Construction Equipment’s prototype electric-hybrid wheel loader. It underwent real-world testing at Waste Management’s Redwood Landfill in Novato, Calif., for three months last winter, handling biodegradable yard waste as part of a composting operation. Running off a bank of onboard lithium-ion batteries with a 3.6-liter diesel engine recharging them as needed, the LX01 is the first prototype from Volvo CE’s ambitious Electromobility initiative.