On display at the 2022 Volvo Days event in Sweden was the first articulated dump truck ever created (pictured right). Dubbed Gravel Charlie, the truck was built in 1966 and is credited with starting an entire new category of construction equipment. According to a brochure celebrating Volvo’s 175th anniversary in 2007, here’s how Gravel Charlie came about:
“At the end of the 1950s, the engineering company Livab in Braas was experimenting with combinations of driven hauler trailers and tractors. But there were several difficult problems, not the least of which was maneuverability. Since the tractor’s front wheels easily slid in snow, the company simply started to sketch a tractor without front wheels, with articulated steering and drive on the load unit’s wheels.
Development of the machine picked up speed and a few years later, in 1965, Livab signed a cooperative agreement with Bolinder-Munktell. [Volvo’s precursor company.] The following year saw the introduction of the DR 631, the world’s first series-manufactured articulated hauler with all-wheel drive.”
Today, Volvo is the first to begin serial production of the “world’s first” electric articulated haulers. The 29- and 39-metric-ton haulers were unveiled at Bauma 2025, touting the same performance as their diesel counterparts but with fewer emissions, less noise, and less vibration on the operator. They are being produced at Volvo CE’s Braås site in Sweden — the birthplace of the world’s first articulated hauler, Gravel Charlie.
Commenting on the milestone, Melker Jernberg, president of Volvo CE, said: “Starting serial production of electric articulated haulers of this size is a proud moment for Volvo CE. It shows that our ambition to lead the transformation of our industry is backed by real execution. This milestone proves that electric solutions are ready to meet the demands of heavy, high-productivity applications, and that meaningful change is underway.”
The A30 Electric and A40 Electric are among the largest machines in Volvo CE’s portfolio of electric solutions. Additional battery-electric products available to the North American market include:
- Excavators: EC230 Electric, ECR25 Electric, ECR18 Electric, EC18 Electric
- Rollers: DD25 Electric
- Wheel Loaders: L120 Electric, L25 Electric, L20 Electric
Volvo says because haulers are high-utilization, energy-intensive machines, electrification offers the potential for “meaningful emissions reductions alongside attractive total cost of ownership advantages.”
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