The Volvo Days 2026 June event is underway in Eskilstuna, Sweden, and IM Editorial Director Paul Moore is at the event spending time with Volvo CE senior management to better understand the company evolution and strategy – and of course how that relates to mining.
Today at the press conference the attendees heard from Volvo CE President Melker Jernberg; Åsa Alström – Head of Brand, Marketing and Communication; Hanna Ihnatovich, Head of Sales Region International; and Carl Slotte, Head of Region Europe.
In the coming weeks, over 4,000 customers will attend Volvo Days 2026, which is the largest event of its kind since the first one was held in 1971. The theme is very much the next era of construction and mining, and that includes machine energy transition and decarbonisation, plus other technology shifts with evolving customer expectations. The event is also significant with 2026 being the 60th birthday of Volvo articulated haulers since Gravel Charlie launched in 1966.
IM Editorial Director Paul Moore with the Volvo R60 rigid hauler at Volvo Days 2026
It is clear that connected services and data driven solutions are becoming just as important as the machines themselves – and that also reflects a greater customer appetite to access available data and work with partners like Volvo to better interpret and understand the data via the latest analytical tools and offerings.
Volvo CE has also made some bold moves recently – and is now focusing 100% on the Volvo brand – after opting to close Rokbak in Motherwell, and selling its shares in SDLG in China. Its own Volvo CE assets in China in Shanghai and Linyi are now the focus there from a strategic supply and product development point of view – the L120 Electric wheel loader for example, recently rolled off the production line in Linyi, Shandong – and is being supplied globally.
From a financial performance point of view, Volvo CE has also proved resilient despite turbulent times in the construction industry not helped by the geopolitical situation. But the company is not slowing down. In the past year alone, Volvo CE has launched over 80 new or updated products. About 16,000 new generation products are now out in the market working with customers.
Its industry first electric ADTs – the A30 and A40 Electric – are now in serial production – the first four A40 Electric units are going to the UK to a civil construction project and the first seven A30 Electric ADTs are going to a tunnelling project in Norway – they are also highly anticipated in mining and quarrying by both owner operators and contractors. Volvo CE told IM that it will have produced 50 electric ADTs by end 2026 and will have a initial capacity of 250 machines per year starting in 2027. Looking at its wider range of electric machines, there are over 400 now running in Norway alone with 180 different customers. Volvo CE works with several charging technology companies, with the 350 kW charger for the ADTs on display at Volvo Days 2026 using solutions from Power Electronics and Huber+Suhner.
Operational costs are now shifting much more in favour of electric as well – the argument is not just about sustainability – it is matching or bettering conventional diesel. Part of Volvo CE’s offering is also its ability to run electric site simulations for customers – when planning for an electric fleet it is important to understand the effect of different charging solutions. During the event, Fredrik Tjernström, Electromobility Solutions Sales at Volvo CE, shared a simulation case example involving six Volvo A30 Electric units, for production of 80,000 t/y and modelling the use of 200 kW or 350 kW charging stations.
Volvo CEO Melker Jernberg said in an increasingly complex world, Volvo CE has made clear choices about where to focus and invest
The results showed that using one 350 kW charger would mean the highest cost per tonne and involve the longest project time. Using one 200 kW charger is a low cost option in terms of CAPEX but also involves an extended project duration – using two 350 kW was the optimal solution for this simulated project with short project duration and low overall cost thanks to reduction of queuing.
Increased capacity for crawler excavators is being added in Sweden, South Korea and the US plus wheel loader capacity is being added in the US. Taking the new excavator plant in Eskilstuna – Daniel Edström the Project Lead said the investment is around MSEK 700, with the new facility covering 30,000 m2. It is set to start production H1 2028 with a capacity of 3,500 crawler excavators per year – both conventional and electric. In sales, Volvo CE has also made some major moves – acquiring Swecon in 2025 – meaning 70% of European markets are now covered by Volvo-owned retail operations.
In the past year Volvo CE’s service portfolio has also expanded by 50% including new and enhanced existing offerings such as those based on telemetry like CareTrack and ActiveCare plus machine data APIs; along with Connected Map that offers real-time positioning of machines and personnel to improve safety and productivity; the Volvo Connect digital fleet management system; and Equipment as a Service where customers don’t buy a machine but rather purchase hours from a manufacturer or a dealer to use it. These are complemented by the parts business and Volvo Financial Services.