Volvo Construction Equipment and Hitachi Energy have announced a collaboration to accelerate zero-emission construction sites to make electric construction equipment a practical on-site reality.
The companies said that their collaboration will address power supply, charging, energy management and operational integration as a single system. In this way, the will respond directly to rising sustainability and productivity pressures and the industry’s shift from standalone technologies to integrated ready-to-deploy solutions.
While electrification, automation and efficient resource and asset planning offer clear pathways to reduce emissions, transitioning from individual electric machines to fully functioning zero‑emission construction sites requires a coordinated ecosystem of solutions and effective system integration across equipment, power infrastructure, and energy management systems.
Under the agreement, Volvo CE and Hitachi Energy will work on a non-exclusive basis to assess potential technical and commercial concepts supporting zero-emission construction and manufacturing operations. The focus will on system integration and site-level operational execution. The scope includes joint work on business models, go‑to‑market approaches and aftermarket and support considerations. All will be supported by joint teams from both companies.
“Strategic partnerships such as this with Hitachi Energy are key to accelerating the transition to zero-emission construction,” said Melker Jernberg, president of Volvo CE. “By combining complementary expertise and delivering a complete, integrated solution, we are giving customers the confidence, security and peace of mind they need to adopt emission-free operations today.”
“Electrification is a game changer in the decarbonisation puzzle, particularly for hard‑to‑abate environments such as construction sites,” said Niklas Persson, chief executive of grid integration at Hitachi Energy. “As construction operations become more electric and more complex, success depends less on individual technologies and more on system‑level integration, strong execution and close collaboration with partners like Volvo CE who share our ambition to enable zero‑emission construction at scale.”
Zero-emission construction requires a coordinated ecosystem of solutions and seamless integration between machines, electrical infrastructure and energy management systems.
The initial focus will be business and go‑to‑market‑oriented. The emphasis will be on practical plug‑and‑play approaches to help customers simplify the transition to zero‑emission construction sites. At the same time, the agreement between the two companies will establish a foundation for deeper technical engagement over time. The companies said that the potential is there to explore more advanced capabilities such as connected machines, digital integration and expanded service offerings.
Volvo CE said that it has long been at the forefront of the construction industry’s move toward electrification and digitalisation, while Hitachi Energy brings deep expertise in power systems, energy management and system integration. Together, the collaboration represents an important next step in providing customers with a comprehensive solution to help navigate and accelerate this transition.
