Innovative Iron Award Winner: Volvo’s DD25 Electric Asphalt Compactor
The Top Construction Landscape and Rental Equipment Launched in 2023
The world of off-highway machinery is evolving — battery-powered units, hydrogen engines, luxury and economy tiering, machine control automation — but maybe the biggest evolution is that everyone wants a compact machine. Small, tool-carrying construction equipment now make up about 50 percent of the U.S. machinery market with mini excavators and compact track loaders being the two most popular categories in America. To meet this enormous demand, machine makers released some pretty awesome machines in the past 12 months: advanced skid steers, electric asphalt pavers, entry-level grade control attachments and so much more. The 2023 Innovative Iron Awards celebrate the best of these compact equipment launches. Scouring tradeshows, visiting manufacturers, operating units, interviewing experts, this annual compilation represents the best equipment we’ve seen and experienced all year. Congrats to all the winners, including…
Volvo’s DD25 Electric Asphalt Compactor
Volvo Construction Equipment is a global leader when it comes to producing battery-powered, off-highway construction equipment. The brand makes everything from electric mini excavators to electric wheel loaders, offering one of the biggest lines of e-machines in the North American market. In 2023, Volvo CE announced another addition to its battery units — the DD25 Electric asphalt compactor — a battery-electric, double-drum compactor that offers 24 kW of available power, which is actually 30 percent more than the conventional Volvo DD25B compactor.
The result is a more responsive machine in terms of speed and vibrations, 360-degree visibility and high-frequency compaction. Frequency can be adjusted from 3300 vpm/55 Hz to 4000 vpm/67 Hz to cater to different applications. The machine comes with an integrated on-board charger that enables charging from zero to 100 percent in three hours. With an optional off-board DC fast charger, this can be achieved in just over an hour. That’s pretty fast.
The DD25 Electric can do all the jobs a similarly sized diesel machine can do, including street repairs and patching, parking lots and driveway. Its emissions-free operation allows the DD25 Electric asphalt compactor to help organizations meet emissions regulations or their own sustainability goals. Zero tailpipe emissions mean a cleaner and more enjoyable work environment for operators, site teams and passers-by. When traveling or operating with the drum vibration turned off, this machine is impressively quiet as well.
The DD25 Electric compactor requires much less time and money in terms of maintenance because it doesn’t have an engine. Charging a battery is more cost-effective than buying diesel fuel, and there’s no need for engine-related maintenance products like engine oil, oil filters, diesel particulate filters or diesel exhaust fluid.
With nearly every asphalt compactor on the market being diesel powered, the DD25 Electric offers the opportunity to bring emissions reduction efforts to the road segment. As emissions reduction regulations and goals continue to spread, teams need options to help them meet these expectations. Equipment that offers equal power and productivity with lower emissions is a huge step in this direction. When used alongside other electric powered equipment, the DD25 Electric provides the opportunity for a zero-emission workplace, which Volvo CE believes is the future of the industry.
As we honor the DD25 Electric with an Innovative Iron Award in 2023, this unit is currently open for pre-ordering with deliveries beginning in early 2024. Learn more right over here.
Keith Gribbins is publisher of Compact Equipment.
