The electric powertrains are being fitted to the Sherpa E cargo and pushback tractors and Phoenix E towbarless aircraft tractor to make transporting cargo and baggage and handling aircraft more environmentally friendly.
Aradex’s powertrains were designed in partnership with Goldhofer, offering high levels of torque and finely tuned transmission power.
The compact battery packs are mounted directly on the axle and do not require a gearbox, saving space and weight.
The design means that the Sherpa E has up to 1,200nm of torque and the Phoenix E has up to 4,000nm meaning it can move aircraft as large as a Boeing 777 safely with zero emissions.
Thomas Vetter, Founder and Member of the Executive Board at Aradex said: “At airports around the world, cargo and aircraft tractors have to satisfy extremely tough requirements each and every day. This also applies to electrically powered vehicles. I am all the more delighted therefore that, together with Goldhofer, we have succeeded in optimising the configuration of our high-torque drive train so that it is not only very robust but also ensures reliable and balanced towing operations with maximum sensitivity and control.”
Both the vehicles were tested extensively at Zurich, Munich and Los Angeles airports, and the first Phoenix E was delivered to Lufthansa in December 2021.
Lothar Holder, Member of the Goldhofer board and Head of Airport Technology said: “Since 2019, more and more of our cargo handling customers have been opting for the extremely high-performance solutions integrated in the SHERPA E. Demand is increasing at a fast pace.”
