Photos! This Is What Volvo Days 2024 Looked Like

Volvo Construction Equipment is hosting nearly 1,000 customers and dealers at its North American HQ this week. It’s bringing in key companies to showcase its latest machines, technology and services. There’s also factory tours, test drives, product demonstrations, networking, awesome meals and lots more. Earlier this week, the company also invited a group of trade journalists to enjoy Volvo Days 2024. The company presented us with new products, access to top brass, customer interviews and the time to operate machines. I did all of those things. Enjoy photo proof!
Volvo Days 2024 is held in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania at the company’s North American Customer Center. The center houses the Volvo Brand Shop, Volvo Museum, meeting facilities and its new technician training center, but all the action was outside. About half of the 80-acre site has been developed to offer a unique experience for machine demonstration and training. This giant outdoor operational area is a contractor’s/machine journalist’s dream. For the event, it was broken up into equipment and application stations. Pros could jump on every type of iron from mini excavators to giant haul trucks. Let me present exhibit A:
Electric Machines and Mini Excavators
Lots of new equipment was available for operation, but most of the super new stuff was larger machines. Two of the products in the spotlight were new mid-size electric machines. The all-new L120 Electric wheel loader and the new-generation EC230 Electric excavator continue to demonstrate Volvo’s continued progress with zero-emission solutions. The company also showcased its L20 and L25 Electric compact wheel loaders and its ECR 18 Electric and ECR25 Electric mini excavators, but those are not new (just still cool).
What was cool and newish in the compact realm were the EC37 and ECR40 mini excavators. I got to operate both. Photo proof below! The 3- to 4-metric ton size units make up about a quarter of the compact excavator market in North America, so the EC37 and ECR40 (replacing the EC35Dand ECR40D) will likely be very popular. They were designed with the operator’s experience in mind, so the controls, HMIs and hydraulic settings are highlights. They also have an elongated undercarriage for more stability, and this reduces the dreaded “rocking chair effect” for operators too.
The L30 and L35 Compact Wheel Loaders
The company also recently released its latest L30 and L35 compact wheel loaders. The two updated models are coming to market with some operator-focused improvements, which I got to experience firsthand. These updated compact wheel loaders provide an even greater range of sight to the front and sides, thanks to a slimmer dashboard. Operators will benefit from more intuitive functions with a larger display that’s navigated via a jog wheel, and a more ergonomic multi-function joystick.
The autos are cool on these units too. A new feature unique to this size class is an advanced boom kick-out and bucket leveler option with boundary limits that can automatically lift and tilt the bucket to pre-programmed positions. Attachments are also becoming an increasing focus for Volvo’s tool carriers. An electro-hydraulic main control valve enhances the flow sharing among the hydraulic functions. The adjustable boom and tilt function (optional), allows the operator to set the flow of these functions using the jog wheel and display. This enables customized flows for specialty buckets or attachments. Independent hydraulic pumps provide simultaneous lifting and steering at speed.
A big change for the new L30 and L35 is the addition of an eight-pin harness on the boom, which can be activated by a button on the joystick. This allows a wider range of attachments to be used without installing additional wiring — a major convenience for both operators and service techs. The company showed this off on site with an adjustable set of pallet forks and its shifting carriage.
Cool Technology
Volvo Days 2024 is more than just a machine showcase — it’s a deep dive into the innovations shaping the future of construction equipment. From hands-on demos to intimate talks with industry leaders, Volvo provided a platform to explore its cutting-edge technologies and solutions that continue to redefine the equipment sector. The company put a big focus on its Connected portfolio — Connected Map, Connected Load Out and Connected Performance Indicator. First instance, Connected Map is a positioning solution that provides real-time visibility and control of all machines, personnel and vehicles on the jobsite.
Another example, Connected Load Out is designed to improve the efficiency and productivity of the load out process by connecting the loader operator, site office and trucks. It is a digital solution for Volvo wheel loaders with Load Assist and On-Board Weighing and Volvo excavators with Dig Assist On-Board Weighing. Read all about this tech right over here. At Volvo Days 2024, the company showcased a ton of different tech and services from My Equipment App and Dig Assist to ActiveCare Direct and Volvo Financial Services.
I Got to Experience Lots of Other Cool Equipment
Volvo also announced the expansion of its compaction range with the new SD125 soil compactor (above). This 12-ton machine was developed with customer feedback in mind. It also becomes the largest model in the company’s soil compaction lineup. It’s a timely introduction as the Shippensburg production site enters its 50th year of compaction engineering and manufacturing. Read about Volvo’s anniversary right here. Volvo also grew its rigid hauler family from one model to three with the launch of the R60 and R70. These units were super popular with the customers at the event.
Expect a bigger story on my trip coming probably next week. That will include an interview with Scott Young, president and head of Volvo CE’s North American region. Until then, enjoy some photos from the event. I sure did.
Find out more about some of the largest skid steers on the market.
Cool Drone and Machine Shows
Some Extra Detail Shots
Keith Gribbins is publisher of Compact Equipment.