New smart vehicle from Hiab and Volvo

Hiab, part of Cargotec, has launched a new environmentally friendly load handling truck crane in collaboration with Volvo Truck Center Sweden at the IAA exhibition in Hannover, Germany.

The new model is a Volvo FM (Euro 6) truck fitted with a Hiab 192 HiPro loader crane and Multilift XR18SL hooklift.

The truck uses an electro-hydraulic system, or electric power take-off (ePTO), to allow the crane operator to work with the engine switched off. The ePTO allows the loader crane to be powered electrically by a plug-in system, instead of the vehicle's engine, a spokesperson added. The system's battery has a capacity of 40 kW per hour and is charged when the crane is not in use. The battery can be charged to 80 % in 50 minutes, Hiab said.

Henric Sundin, Volvo Truck Center Sweden CEO, said, “A Volvo truck, equipped with the ePTO crane, provides several benefits to crane operators, truck owners and the environment as a whole. The crane, being powered by lithium-ion batteries instead of the truck's diesel engine, is 100 per cent emission free, and the noise level is reduced by half. This opens up many new areas of possible use. An ePTO crane truck can be used indoors, replacing scissor lifts, sky lifts and forklifts. Being very silent, it can also be used in cities and residential areas during night time.”

Gert Larsson, Hiab Products executive vice president, added, “We are excited to showcase the new ePTO solution at the IAA exhibition. The fact that the vehicle has both a crane and a hooklift also makes it very flexible.”