Global construction firm Skanska piloted the Volvo EC230, the largest electric excavator of its kind, on a big Los Angeles transit project – here’s what happened.
Skanska’s electric excavator pilot in LA, one of four Volvo electric excavator pilot programs in North America, ran for 90 days. Skanska wanted to test an electric excavator of this size on a “megaproject,” so it used it on the Los Angeles Metro’s Purple (D Line) Extension Transit Project.
The Volvo EC230 went to work at the South Yard of the La Brea station, where it replaced a diesel-powered Komatsu PC228 excavator. The EC230 has an operating weight of 23,000-26,100 kg (50,706-57,540 lbs). It features a battery capacity of 264 kWh and a runtime of up to five hours. It takes 1.5 hours to charge it to 80% using a DC fast charger, and 10-12 hours to charge it with the standard AC charger that comes with the excavator.
Skanska said today that it used the EC230 to load trucks of export construction material from a stockpile. The company says it successfully performed its duties and kept the pace of work on schedule.
Initial findings indicate that Volvo’s electric excavator reduced carbon per hour by 66% (34 kilograms) and saved an estimated 74% – $15.15 – in cost per hour.
Operators reported back that the machine was easy to use, had great capacity, and generated much less vibration and noise than a diesel-powered version. That creates a much better working environment for the operator and less construction noise for the community.
Mason Ford, director of sustainability and equipment services for Skanska USA Civil, said that “the successful completion of this pilot program represents a significant stride forward for the entire [construction] industry.”
Skanska aims to achieve 70% carbon reduction by 2030 across its global operations and entire value chain.
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DHL Express has more than 10,000 eSprinter vans in its global delivery fleet, but none of those have been deployed in North America – until now, that is! The company recently added 45 new Mercedes eSprinter panel vans, and they’ve got plans for plenty more!
While Mercedes offers its eSprinters with a promised 206 mile estimated range, DHL says it’s consistently seen them exceed 240 miles in stop-and-go delivery duty, making them the longest-range battery electric vehicles in DHL’s US fleet.
And, of course, the eSprinter will do all of that without the noise, vibration, and harmful carbon emissions of diesel.
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“Electrifying our fleet is one of the most visible and impactful ways we are moving toward a more sustainable future,” explains Greg Hewitt, CEO of DHL Express, US. “The Mercedes-Benz eSprinter brings an extended range and proven cargo capabilities that allow us to serve our customers with zero emissions, while also advancing our global goal of more sustainable logistics. These vehicles not only strengthen our operations in major US cities but also set the stage for future electric fleet growth across the Americas.”
The 45 eSprinters will see deployment in Chicago, Indiana, and Pittsburg, and will act as a first step DHL’s global Sustainability Roadmap, which will see the company electrify 66% of its last-mile US delivery fleet (and some of its long-haul fleet operations) by 2030.
In short, they’re doing the right thing – or seem to be, anyway. Whether or not that commitment to decarbonization will win them more American customers remains to be seen.
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Enphase Energy just launched a new off-grid system that lets homeowners power their homes without a utility connection – even for extended periods. The California-based Enphase says the off-grid setup delivers a seamless way to live independently from the grid while still using solar, batteries, and a standby AC generator.
A full off-grid setup
The new system combines Enphase’s IQ Battery 5P with embedded grid-forming microinverters, IQ8 Series Microinverters with Sunlight JumpStart, and a third-party standby AC generator. The components work together to supply power to a home and automatically manage energy sources to maximize efficiency and reliability.
If the batteries are drained and the generator runs out of fuel, the Sunlight JumpStart feature can automatically recharge the batteries the next morning once the sun comes up.
The IQ Battery 5P delivers 3.84 kVA of power per 5 kWh of capacity, and systems can be scaled up to 40 kWh and 15.4 kVA. That’s enough power to start big household appliances like HVAC systems or water pumps. The IQ System Controller 3G provides the backbone, managing solar, batteries, and generator inputs to deliver up to 46 kVA of off-grid power.
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Smarter control and connectivity
Each system connects to the cloud through Enphase’s IQ Combiner 5C HDK, which bundles solar interconnection, communications, and metering into one box. For homes without reliable broadband, the built-in 4G LTE Cat 4 modem keeps the system online for monitoring, firmware updates, and remote support.
Homeowners can manage everything from the Enphase App – from solar generation and battery status to generator integration and load control.
Why it matters
As grid outages become more common and homeowners look for ways to gain energy independence, off-grid systems like this are becoming more appealing.
“With the launch of our off-grid solution, we are giving homeowners a reliable path to complete energy independence,” said Nitish Mathur, Enphase’s SVP of customer experience. Enphase says over 100 homes are already operating entirely off-grid using its technology. The company plans to expand availability beyond the US in 2026.
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Global offshore wind targets are still strong enough to triple global capacity by 2030, despite the US’s offshore wind stagnation under Trump. A new analysis from energy think tank Ember and the Global Offshore Wind Alliance (GOWA) shows that the rest of the world is charging forward, underscoring confidence in offshore wind as a cornerstone of future clean energy systems.