Frequent visitors to Germany’s Munich Airport will be able to breathe a little bit easier soon, thanks to a new deal with the ground support experts at Goldhofer for 14 of its all-electric, 352 ton-rated PHOENIX E aircraft tractors.

You read that right: these electric aircraft tractors are rated to pull aircraft with a take-off weight of up to 352 tons at speeds up to 32 kph (approx. 20 mph). The Goldhofer packs more than enough power in its massive, 700 V lithium-ion battery packs, in other words, to rip the rear bumper off a Tesla Cybertruck and probably slow the rotation of the Earth if it could get enough traction. (That’s called “hyperbole” — Ed.)

The order was placed by EFM GmbH, a company that specializes in aircraft marshaling, de-icing, and air conditioning. And, in recent years, a company that’s become something of a pioneer in the field of zero-emission airport ground handling equipment (GHE).

“This latest investment in Goldhofer equipment is a further milestone for future-proof ground handling by EFM GmbH at Munich Airport,” says EFM’s Managing Director Jörg Abel. “As a pioneer in the field of zero-emission ground support, our goal is to make ground support fit for a sustainable future. Goldhofer’s PHOENIX E tractors make a valuable contribution to our endeavor and will help us achieve our vision of a green future.”

With a team of over 150 operative employees, EFM currently moves some 200,000 aircraft and performs up to 15,000 de-icing operations each year. Its 14 PHOENIX E tractors are expected to be delivered and in operation by 2028.

Electrek’s Take

With the short distances driven at limited speeds under extreme loads, GHE at airports present a nearly ideal use case for battery-electric vehicles. That’s a good thing, too — as demand for on-road fossil fuels drops, airports and airlines – historically responsible for about 4% Earth’s global warming – are becoming a bigger and bigger slice of a rapidly shrinking pie when it comes to fossil fuel emissions.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Goldhofer, via Electrive.