The production line for the new electric compact wheel loader has been inaugurated at the CNH plant in Lecce, Italy. The model, conceived and designed in thePuglia plant’s R&D centre, will be produced in CASE and New Holland liveries with the 12EV and W40X models respectively. From here, it will reach markets around the world, meeting the growing need for zero-emission machinery in the construction and agricultural sectors.
The ceremony was held in the presence of institutions from the Puglia Region,including Alessandro Delli Noci, Councillor for Economic Development, and Loredana Capone, President of the Regional Council, together with the Mayor of Lecce, Adriana Poli Bortone, and CNH management: Stefano Pampalone, CNH President Construction Segment, Carlo Alberto Sisto, CNH EMEA President, FedericoBullo, CNH Head of Construction Europe, Ciro Casapulla, CNH Head ofConstruction Product Development, Carlo Lambro, Managing Director CNH IndustrialItalia S.p.A. and Guido Moscheni, CNH CE HR Business Partner.
The new model completes the company’s range of compact electric vehicles,which already includes the two mini electric excavators produced in Cesena. CNH is thus responding to the rapidly growing demand for alternative powertrains,driven by the needs of metropolitan and municipal areas, mainly in Europe, andthe requirements of sectors such as agriculture and livestock farming, in search of high-performance yet silent and zero-emission machines that can operatesafely indoors and near animals.
The Lecce plant, which recently celebrated 50 years of activity, is one of CNH’smain production centres in Italy and EMEA.It occupies 600,000 square metresand houses 7 product lines (wheel loaders, compact wheel loaders, backhoeloaders, telehandlers and motor graders) for 203 models and 4896 differentconfigurations. Production volumes have grown exponentially, marking an 88%
increase between 2020 and 2022 and a further 14% in 2023, the year thatrecorded the highest number of machines produced since its foundation.
In parallel with investments in production capacity, CNH has implemented majorinfrastructure and environmental improvements. In 2022, an investment ofaround €13 million (part of the Converto project, co-financed by the Region ofPuglia) enabled the installation of a new advanced painting plant and a newplasma cutting machine. The former has significantly improved product quality and reduced environmental impact through more efficient use of water.
The new cutting machine has increased productivity, reducing waste and maintenance costs. Furthermore, the recent adoption of a photovoltaic system covering 40%of the production area confirms the commitment to sustainability and energy self–sufficiency of the production site. Also as part of the Converto project, CNH hasinvested in the construction of new rooms for testing electrified vehicles and forchecking operations in extreme climatic conditions (-50° to +50°).
Italian innovation for a sustainablefuture
The new electric compact wheel loader, which has been successfully presented atmajor international trade fairs such as ConEXPO in Las Vegas and Agritechnica inHanover, offers significant advantages in terms of lownoise and zero emissions.
These characteristics make it particularly suitable for operating in closed environments,where CO2 emissions are not permitted, on night-time construction sitesand in all applications that are sensitive to noise pollution. Furthermore, this typeof machine guarantees high performance and lower operating costs than diesel poweredvehicles.
Ciro Casapulla, Head of Construction Product Development, explained the new electric model in detail, emphasising how innovation has always been made in Lecce, and how this, in the case of electrification, entails a paradigm shift: ‘Wehave not just replaced the diesel engine with batteries. We have completelyrevised the design, also drawing on technologies and calculation techniques typical of the aerospace sector. Firstly, by lightening the weight, removing itwhere it wasn’t needed, in a reasoned and calibrated way to increaseperformance and preserve the machine’s autonomy’.
The weight reduction, also achieved thanks to the special “lattice” boom, has ledto an improvement in tipping load: a light boom means weight is shifted to therear and therefore greater loading capacity and stability. Another important innovation, borrowed from the top-of-the-range diesel models, are the electrohydrauliccontrols which, combined with the electric drive, make it possible tomaximise the efficiency and the controllability of movements.
The new electric model has a range of 3 to 6 hours depending on the type ofapplication. Recharging can be done with the domestic power socket with thestandard 230V on-board charger or with the optional fast charger, which can recharge the 23 kWh lithium-ion battery from 20% to 80% in just 1 hour, theduration of a lunch break, thus enabling continuous use throughout the working day.
The new electric compact wheel loader, 100% Made in Italy, highlights CNH’scommitment to investing in technologies for the development of alternative andsustainable propulsion, while reaffirming the strategic centrality of the Lecceplant in the company’s production landscape.
