Volvo Construction Equipment’s Mats Bredborg outlines how electric excavators can cut London’s pollution now, and why bringing power to site, not machines to chargers, unlocks adoption. With batteries, fuel cells and hydrogen, plus ‘use cases’, Volvo is de-risking the shift for contractors.
In London alone, thousands of compact diggers work kerbside each day, yet the smallest diesel units lack modern after-treatment. The result? Local NOx and PM on pavements where people walk, learn and recover.
Volvo’s transition is not about one “perfect” technology; it’s about outcomes and ease. Bredborg’s core message: adoption will hinge on making electric excavators simpler than diesel, by solving charging logistics, proving commercial viability, and letting customers learn through real-world trials.
“You need to lead the way. You need to show the technology, verify that it works commercially, and then show the environmental impact.” - Mats Bredborg
Start where impact is highest. On street-works and utilities, specify electric excavators to eliminate kerbside NOx/PM and noise.
Bring power to the site. Mobile charging vans coordinated by telematics can top up fleets on the move, no fixed grid upgrade required.
Design with use cases. Multi-party pilots (client, contractor, OEM, dealer, charging partner) surface the real blockers early and de-risk scale-up.
Protect operators and neighbours. Operators on electric excavators report lower vibration and noise; nearby crews avoid exhaust in trenches and footways.
Be an early adopter. Deploy electric excavators now to build skills, cut pollution, and gain a competitive edge as policy tightens.
Smaller diesel diggers often sit outside strict after-treatment rules even while working inches from the public. Replacing them with electric excavators removes tailpipe NOx and particulate matter right where exposure is highest, improving health outcomes and community trust.
Ease wins. Volvo’s London pilots use connected vans to deliver energy to plant, mirroring how fuel has always come to site. When charging comes to the machine, electric excavators become logistically simpler than diesel (no fuel ordering, storage or spill risk).
Different duty cycles need different tools: batteries excel on compact and mid-size cycles; fuel cells may serve mid-heavy; hydrogen combustion could suit ultra-heavy, low-volume niches. For compact city tasks, electric excavators offer the clearest, lowest-friction path today.
Map your top five urban use cases and trial them with OEM, dealer and charging partner.
Cost whole-life, not just capex; include health, noise and programme benefits.
Build a simple charging playbook (mobile, on-site, depot).
Start procurement lots that favour zero-emission plant beginning with electric excavators.
At Darren Evans Ltd, we help translate ambition into specification: outcome-based briefs, whole-life modelling, and pilot-to-programme roadmaps with OEMs and clients. This is the kind of work we support at Darren Evans Ltd, turning trials into policy-ready rollouts anchored by electric excavators.
Listen to the full podcast with Mats Bredborg: The Excavator Pollution Problem in Cities: Why Small Machines Are a Big Climate Threat
Read Our Article: What is embodied carbon and how do you calculate it?
Related Episode: How Technology is Transforming Construction: What You Need to Know with Giulia Papi
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The window is open: clean the air, de-risk adoption, and prove a new normal before regulation makes it mandatory.
