The fleet of de-icing vehicles at Munich airport has been bolstered by a particularly powerful and environmentally friendly new vehicle.
Since the beginning of this week, the all-electric Elephant e-BETA from the Danish manufacturer Vestergaard has been in use at EFM, a company involved in de-icing and aircraft towing at Munich.
According to the manufacturer, the Elephant e-BETA is the first electric de-icing vehicle in the marketplace. The spray arms and nozzles, which are driven by electric motors, perform the de-icing of aircraft silently and effectively. At the heart of the vehicle is a generously dimensioned lithium-ion battery power pack that enables the electric de-icing of around ten to 15 aircraft. This allows the de-icing vehicle to complete about two to three hours of operation without needing to be recharged.
