In this series of articles we will be sharing snippets from the Swedish Forestry Expo. 

THE EV1, a new concept machine from Ponsse driven 100-per-cent electronically by electric motors, had its Swedish premiere at the event.

The EV1 – of which there is currently only one in the world – has a load capacity of 15 tonnes and is equivalent in the conventional range to a Buffalo, the most popular forwarder size. A battery pack in the rear trailer supplies three electric motors – one in the rear trailer to the rear bogie, one under the cab to the front bogie and one going to the hydraulic pump.

READ MORE: EV1: First look at Ponsse's new electric forwarder concept

The battery pack is in turn powered by a diesel engine connected to a generator. In favourable driving conditions, the bogie motors can also generate power back to the battery through the braking energy. In terms of power, the EV1 beats its conventional competitors in the same class by a landslide.

CEO Carl-Henrik Hammar said: “It has a small diesel engine, but it’s only there to give power to the battery pack. We don’t want to call it a hybrid, because we know other manufacturers have hybrids, but this is a totally different solution. It is totally electric, with additional range provided by a small diesel engine.

“Everybody at the show has been interested. Contractors here in Sweden, of course, have been hesitating. This is something new. No-one knows what to expect in the future from this technology and we have to understand that it is a new concept. But the forestry companies are getting in line to purchase this machine because they all understand the only way to the environmental demands of the future is to include this kind of technology.”

Among the 11 other machines on the stand was the new Ponsse Scorpion Giant, launched in 2022, equipped with the manufacturer’s largest final harvesting head for wheeled harvesters, the H8 with Active Speed. This means the machine itself detects the roughness of trees and automatically selects the right gear for the speed of the feed rollers. The Ponsse Scorpion Giant is the strongest harvester in the Ponsse series and is specially developed to have higher lifting power and traction and to operate smoothly even in challenging conditions such as snow, steep slopes and soft terrain.

On the forwarder side was the new Ponsse Mammoth, the manufacturer’s largest forwarder, with a 25-tonne load capacity. The machine has a powerful transmission and stable construction to be able to efficiently transport many and heavy loads even in demanding terrain.

While there were no opportunities to test drive, Ponsse had machine simulators available and was showing its new driver support, Thinning Assistance, which scans the area in front of drivers and offers suggestions on which trees should be thinned, providing a 260-degree perspective on the machine’s computer.

In addition to showcasing a range of new and existing machines, Ponsse wanted to highlight its values of service, sustainability and equality.

Keep an eye across our channels for much more content from the first Swedish Forestry Expo.