After successful testing: Gothenburg transitions to electric-powered working machines

There was neither noise nor diesel smell when the playground at Glöstorpsvägen in Tuve was recently refurbished – both the wheel loader and the tracked excavator ran on electricity. The refurbishment of the playground in the middle of the residential area was the Urban Environment Department's first real attempt in transitioning to fully electrified construction sites. An initiative aimed at contributing to the City of Gothenburg's goal of reducing its carbon footprint.

The refurbishment was part of the Electric Worksite project, where several actors collaborated to test how electric-powered working machines of various sizes – from the smallest to very large ones – perform in real environments. After having conducted tests at several different construction sites, the project is now concluded, and the results will be presented shortly. The initial results are very promising, despite some challenges.

"With electric machines, emissions are reduced. In this project, carbon dioxide emissions were reduced by approximately 80 percent," says Anders Bernholdsson, a contracting engineer at the Urban Environment Department, and continues:

"At first, we thought the effect would be a problem, but the electric machines are as powerful as diesel machines. Instead, the challenge was to schedule charging time during the workday," says Anders Bernholdsson.

After evaluating the lessons learned and the results, the Urban Environment Department in Gothenburg is now aiming to fully transition to electric machines.

"Eventually, everything will be electric"

"In facilities such as playgrounds and outdoor gyms, the transition can happen faster, but eventually, all machines will be electric. Small handheld machines for operation and maintenance, large construction machines, and the municipality's vehicles," says Peter Lindgren, electrification strategist at the Urban Environment Department.

A significant step in that direction is the new framework agreement for electric machines developed by the administration. The agreement, which focuses on the latest technological developments, offers many benefits: more suppliers, better prices, and a wider range of machines.

"We receive many inquiries from other administrations and companies with construction projects, and a group has been formed within the city to ensure that procurement documents are designed in the same way," says Peter Lindgren.