An electric Mercedes supplies jet fuel to airplanes
This page is translated from the original post "Un Mercedes électrique ravitaille les avions en kérosène" in French.
- 06/03/2024 14:58
Electric mobility on the tarmac. Mercedes has delivered the world’s first refueling vehicle based on a series production electric truck eEconic.
Mercedes Trucks introduced at Stuttgart Airport a fully electric refueling vehicle based on the Mercedes eEconic. It is equipped with a 40,000-liter electric refueling technology that draws the necessary energy for the pump directly from the vehicle’s batteries. This is the first refueling vehicle based on a series-produced electric vehicle and also the first fully electric refueling vehicle in this category.
The electric Mercedes eEconic, a low-cab truck with a total height of less than 2.80 meters, can easily pass under an airplane’s wings. This allows the crew to stay directly beneath the tanks, located in the wing body, during refueling.
Charge, refuel, fly
The panoramic windshield of the low cab, called “DirectVision”, and the seat position offer the driver a wide viewing angle during approach, allowing excellent visibility of the various traffic actors on the tarmac.
The 18.50-meter-long truck is equipped with two electric motors generating 330 kW of continuous power. During braking, electrical energy can be recovered and fed back into the batteries. This increases the truck’s range, especially during stops and return trips between driving and refueling. The batteries of the eEconic can be charged at a maximum power of 160 kW. Since the fuel tank pump also draws its electrical energy directly from the vehicle’s batteries, a single charging process supplies energy to both the vehicle and the tank. This greatly simplifies logistics compared to traditional diesel-powered vehicles that used electricity for their tank operation.
An hour of charging is enough for the vehicle and tank to be used for ground support operations throughout an entire day without interruption. With a flow rate of 1,500 liters per minute, a standard aircraft can be fully refueled in less than 20 minutes.
ALSO READ: An electric Mercedes for salting the roads
We also suggestthese articles:
Also read
