A pair of new Volvo ECR25 Electric mini excavators are busy breaking up oversize rocks in crushing operations at this Ontario-based mine – and the transition from diesel has been as smooth as their electric motors!
As avid readers of Electrek can probably tell you, the quieting down of commercial job sites carries a number of tangible health and safety benefits to the employers, operators, work crews, and nearby residents – basically everyone who lives and works near them. The simple ability to yell, “Stop!” and be heard can save lives, while the reduced diesel din is always a welcome quality of life improvement to Mrs. Klancnik’s terrier … but if you think constructions sites are loud, wait until you visit your first rock quarry! There, the noise and vibration are constant, and the controlled explosions punctuate the air now and again with extreme emphasis.
It’s into that mess that family-owned Cox Construction in Guelph, Ontario has deployed a pair of 2.5-ton ECR25 Electric excavators to break up some of the oversized rocks that are too big to fit in in Cox’ crushing plants.
“The transition from the diesel machine that we had before to the electric has basically been seamless,” says Brandon Crumbie, a crusher foreman at Cox Construction. “I really like it because there’s less warm-up time. You just hit the key and away you go. It’ll do every job you could ever need.”
What’s more, because most the mine’s crushing and material handling equipment runs on electric power already, switching the excavators from diesel to electric means significantly less downtime to go hunt for diesel. And, because the ECR25 Electric machines run on top of a 600-volt crusher, they can charge from the crusher’s generator.
The latest, second-generation ECR25 Electric excavator offers a 40 kWh lithium-ion battery (up from the original 20) that provides up to 8 hours of continuous runtime. It can be recharged overnight on a 240V L2 connector, or “less than an hour” on a 50 kW DC fast charger.
Electrek’s Take
It’s one thing to know that electric equipment is out there, and quite another to see it in action. With this project, Cox Construction and Volvo CE is setting an example for North American quarry operations and raising the bar (by lowering emissions) for other mine operators across the country.
Volvo CE is preparing to Power Your Ambition at the upcoming CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026 trade show, and will be hosting a pre-show event in January to hype up its new unveilings. We will for sure be there.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Volvo CE, via Heavy Equipment Guide.
If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
