Tag Archives: Volvo

LEGO Technic 42215 Volvo EC500 Hybrid Excavator – Worth its weight? [Review]

For anyone fascinated with mechanisms and moving parts, watching heavy machinery work can be mesmerizing. The modern marvels of industry surely showcase some of the greatest advancements in human history, and one of the big players in heavy equipment today is Volvo. The Swedish neighbor shares similar values with LEGO, and that’s why it makes perfect sense that they would pair together to bring some of Volvo’s latest hybrid earth-movers to the Technic line. We’ve already covered the LEGO Technic 42209 Wheel Loader , but the other sets in the series all seem to be the lead-up for the biggest yet. Enter the LEGO Technic 42215 Volvo EC500 Hybrid Excavator. This 2359-piece motorized model will be available starting August 1st, retailing for US $429.99 | CAN $499.99 | UK £349.99. Join us as we unearth whether it’s worth its price tag.

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

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LEGO Technic 42209 Volvo L120 Electric Wheel Loader – Small but dense [Review]

Volvo has been on the forefront of creating hybrid and electric vehicles lately, and their construction equipment is no exception. In 2024, the company brought its new electric wheel loader to market, boasting a massive 20-metric-ton weight and a 6-metric-ton lift capacity, with two motors for propulsion and one for the hydraulics. As a company known for its own innovation, it’s only natural that LEGO would be interested in recreating the vehicle. And with that, LEGO Technic 42209 Volvo L120 Electric Wheel Loader was born, albeit a tiny fraction of the size. This 973-piece model will be available starting June 1st, retailing for US $119.99 | CAN $139.99 | UK £89.99. Join us as we build and test out the play features!

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Continue reading →

Scandinavian power, with a Dutch twist

Lego is not Denmark’s only market-leading company; Vestas, the world’s largest builder of wind turbines, is also Danish. After I built my mega-windmill trailer with a Vestas wind turbine nacelle, I seriously considered building a truck carrying one of the wind turbine’s blades. However, these blades are so big that, even at minifig scale, the model would have to be more than a meter long. This did not strike me as a particularly fun build, but I found a suitable alternative. It is a truck that carries the wind turbine’s hub. The tractor unit is a Volvo FM; another powerhouse from Scandinavia.

There’s a Dutch twist too. It is in the largely orange livery of Dutch heavy haulage specialists Van Der Vlist. And the trailer represents a semi-low loader built by Nooteboom, which is also Dutch. Its load is a lot more manageable than a turbine blade, but it is still a fairly substantial piece of equipment. It is wider than the trailer and so tall that its nose cap is transported separately on the trailer. It tapers and it has a complicated geometry because of the holes for the three blades in the sides. I built three identical sections, with angled panels between them. These all attach to a six-section bottom ring. There is a smaller ring and a separate truncated cone on top. Building all of this did turn out to be a fun challenge.

There is no substitute for a big Diesel

In the Netherlands, wind turbines are a big part of the transition to renewable energy. With the turbines getting bigger, moving their components to wind farms requires ever larger vehicles. My latest LEGO model represents such a vehicle: a Volvo FH16 with a so-called mega-windmill trailer, in the livery of Dutch heavy haulage company Van Der Vlist.

The real truck has a six-cylinder engine that produces 750 HP. It needs all that power because the Vestas wind turbine nacelle that it carries weighs a whopping 70 tons. And the nacelle’s transport frames add another four tons. This also explains the combination’s large number of axles. They distribute the weight to protect the road surface. As a result, this is a big model. Even on a small scale suitable for LEGO minifigures it has a total length of 93 cm (about 3ft).

The Volvo G990 Grader alternate build is grade A

Prolific LEGO Technic builder Michał Skorupka (Eric Trax) asks the question; what if you have the Technic 42114 Volvo Articulated Hauler set and get bored? The builder and I must be on a completely different wavelength because, much to my surprise, the answer has nothing to do with scaring the dog. Instead, he tells us the answer is to build another Volvo, of course. He’s constructed the Volvo G990 Grader with all the working remote-controlled features you can expect from a great Technic model.

I don’t want to spoil anything for you but there’s a part in the video where he dumps beans all over the carpet and the grader grades them! Check it out for yourself.

Do you still have a hankering to scare the dog? Have a look at our Technic Archives for ideas as to how to make it happen.

We got your wagon covered.

We like supercars as much as anyone else, but there’s something equally cool about vintage rides like this Volvo 240 estate by Jonathan Elliott (JE Brickworks). I mean, you’re in for a world of hurt if you try and move a couch on the roof of your Lamborghini. A model that deserves a closer look, this blue beauty has a tilted minifigure ice skate for the Volvo logo and particularly clever use of steering wheels for wheel rims.

If you prefer your Volvos to be a bit more “heavy duty”, then check out our review of the LEGO Technic 42114 6×6 Volvo Articulated Hauler or this amazing fan-built, radio-controlled 1/20-scale Volvo FH.

This RC LEGO Volvo truck is packed with working features

It’s one thing to build an accurate, good-looking LEGO model of a big rig like this 1/20-scale Volvo FH. Getting the shaping down is impressive enough on its own, especially when working with a color like medium azure which has fewer available part types. But builder Sebeus I wasn’t content to stop at making it look pretty; instead he made it a fully-functional RC model with working steering, lights, and a hooklift system for loading and hauling containers. The best working function to me, though, is the rear axle, which can be lowered and raised as needed just like on the real truck.

Check out this video to see it in action:

LEGO Technic Summer 2020 sets fully revealed [News]

Last week we had a first look at the June-December German consumer catalogue images of the upcoming Summer 2020 LEGO Technic sets. Today we get to have a look at the actual box art as revealed by the retailer Meinspielzeug. While we still do not have the regional pricing, part counts are now available for all three sets. These will be available August 1st 2020. We will update the US, UK and Canadian retail prices as we get more information.

Click to see the box art of the new Summer LEGO Technic 2020 releases

First look at LEGO Technic Summer 2020 sets [News]

As reported by our friends at Brickset, the June-December German consumer catalog brings us the first official images of three new LEGO Technic sets. LEGO collaborates with Volvo once again for this summer flagship 42114 6×6 Volvo Articulated Hauler, which is equipped with the new large angular motor from SPIKE Prime. The other two products, 42113 Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey and 42112 Cement Mixer are smaller but look very playable, nevertheless. All three sets shall be available starting August 1. Regional prices are yet to be announced.

42114 6×6 Volvo Articulated Hauler | DE €249,99

Click here for the images of the new sets…

Oh, truck yeah!

Some LEGO builds look like they are made from tiny studded pieces of plastic. That’s appropriate, because that is what they are. However, some builds are done so sleekly that nary a stud is showing, save for representation of a specific detail. These builds cause the viewer to do a double take, and this author has been known to utter a muffled “holy bleep, that’s LEGO” from time to time when seeing them. This truck by Dennis Bosman is one such build. It’s a refrigerated Volvo F12 truck, branded for the Stie’s Termo Transport company from Norway. It is way too big for minifigs (it’s 1:13 scale, as opposed to roughly 1:25-1:42 for minifigs, depending on the relevant dimensions), and scaling it that way allowed Bosman to include mind-boggling details. The cab lifts open to reveal a fully equipped engine, the cab is plushly furnished, the trailers are studded both inside and out, and even the refrigeration units on the trailers have motors inside them.

Click to see this truck in greater detail

LEGO Technic Fall 2018 sets revealed in New York, including the 42082 Rough Terrain Crane [News]

In conjunction with our in-person coverage of the LEGO Fall 2018 Preview event, we’re bringing you all the new product reveals in the LEGO Technic line, scheduled for release later this year. There are several fun sets coming up in this series, and we even got an up-close look at the new Volvo Concept Loader today.

See our complete coverage of the upcoming LEGO Technic sets