Linde Material Handling presents all-electric service vehicle for use in large urban centres –featuring drive technology from the forklift truck sector

The Customer Services und New Business & Products divisions of Linde Material Handling will be presenting the prototype of an all-electric service vehicle based on a Fiat Ducato L1H1 at its World of Material Handling customer event in Mainz. The drive system, a Linde eco-Kit L with 50 kW output, consisting of a three-phase AC motor, power module, control system and further components, comes from Linde’s series production of industrial trucks. The service vehicle is powered by a 33 kWh lithium-polymer battery. When fully equipped for all service eventualities, it will reach a maximum speed of 100 km/h and will have a cruise range of 100 km. This autumn will see the start of a field trial involving four vehicles, operating in London and Paris, as well as in the Rhine-Main region and the Ruhr district. Energy supply company WEMAG AG, based in Northern Germany, is the development partner for the project.

Increasing environmental burdens such as smog and particulate matter are forcing local administrations in densely populated urban centres worldwide to undertake more and more drastic measures. Environmental zones have been standard for a while now, but partial or total driving bans, such as the ones seen in Paris most recently, are increasingly becoming the rule too. This represents a challenge for suppliers and service providers who need to reach their customers even under these circumstances. “We are fortunate to be able to develop our own solutions to these problems thanks to our specific expertise,” says Massimiliano Sammartano, Vice President Customer Services. “And our preliminary study in France shows that our electric service van can optimally meet the application requirements of our service technicians in large city environments.”