After roughly ten months of construction, Liebherr has commissioned a new assembly hall especially for manufacturing battery-electric wheel loaders at the company’s plant in Bischofshofen. The group’s first electric wheel loader, the L 507 E, has been rolling off the assembly line here since March 2024.
To uphold the most stringent safety standards, the new production area is located in a separate hall, away from the conventional wheel loader assembly.
“This separate space is something we opted for because we wanted to fully adapt the new assembly hall to meet the work-safety measures required by the new high-voltage battery system. All employees involved in constructing the L 507 E receive specialized training, which means we are particularly well prepared to meet the demands of electrical technology,” explains Peter Schachinger, Director of Production and Operations at Liebherr-Werk Bischofshofen.
Designed Using Virtual Reality
The new wheel loader assembly line is located in one of the plant’s former workshop halls, which Liebherr has gutted and restored for the production of the L 507 E. The building is now characterized by its expansive windows, which create a friendly working environment. Liebherr has also invested in new break rooms for its employees.
“We’ve also brought the building up to the latest energy standards, with concrete core activation, a district heating connection and heat pumps. We’re increasingly generating the electricity required for the hall ourselves, as we now operate several solar panels at our plant – which cover over 3,400 sq. m in total,” Schachinger explains.
The wheel loader experts designed the interior of the assembly hall almost entirely digitally using virtual reality applications.
“This allowed us to test various layouts and therefore perfectly coordinate the pre-assembly stations and the main assembly line. We were therefore able to efficiently use the available space and create short transport paths,” says Jonas Schwob, project manager for the Production of Electric Wheel Loaders.
A digital display at the center of the assembly hall gives an overview of the current key production figures in real time. Liebherr has given special consideration to ergonomics at the individual work stations. Special lifting devices and transport systems as well as wireless bolting tools make it possible for workers to assemble the new L 507 E wheel loader.
Liebherr L 507 E Wheel Loaders
The new L 507 E is based on the conventionally driven L 507 Stereo wheel loader and combines the tried-and-tested advantages of a stereoloader with a battery-electric drive developed by Liebherr. This drive relies on a high-voltage battery system, specially designed by Liebherr for wheel loader operations.
While the L 507 E’s performance is identical to conventionally driven Liebherr wheel loaders of the same size class, it emits no local CO2 and noise emissions are minimal. This makes the new wheel loader particularly suitable for any operation where you have to consider noise or exhaust fumes, such as in inner-city areas or in halls.
Depending on the operating conditions, the L 507 E has a runtime of up to eight hours. Liebherr’s modular battery design also makes it possible to install a second lithium-ion battery upon customer request, which further extends the runtime. A full battery charge can take between 90 minutes and three hours, depending on the on-board charging technology and power rating.
