A fleet of all-electric construction machines from Volvo Construction Equipment and Volvo Trucks has successfully delivered a landmark project in sustainable urban development, powering the world’s first fully electric deconstruction site in Erlangen, Germany, in collaboration with technology company Siemens and Metzner Recycling.

​Sustainable urban developement ​

The initiative, part of Siemens’ €500 million Technology Campus development, marks a pivotal step in advancing sustainable urban transformation and circular construction practices.

In collaboration with demolition specialists, Metzner Recycling, Volvo CE deployed a fully electric fleet — including compact, mid-size, and grid-connected construction machines — to deliver high-performance demolition across a 25,000 cubic metre site. Electric vehicles from Volvo Trucks supported material transport, enabling fully emission-free operations from selective gutting through to concrete crushing, materials processing, and transport.  

The project marks the first full-scale electric deconstruction of its kind and serves as an important proof of concept that deconstruction can be carried out more sustainably with the right technology, partners, and ambition. It eliminates reliance on fossil fuels, significantly cuts CO2 emissions, removes harmful tailpipe pollutants, and reduces noise impacts in urban environments.