Lufthansa ground handling specialist LEOS has added a second Phoenix E all-electric aircraft tractor from Goldhofer to its fleet of tow tractors.
The two purely battery-electric vehicles are in operation at Frankfurt Airport and can move aircraft with a take-off weight of up to 350 tons over short and long distances between parking areas, maintenance hangars and departure positions. An additional special feature of the second electric tug is that the powerhouse is painted in retro colours and its 80s-style yellow catches the eye from afar.
With a battery capacity of 165kWh and a power output of 240kW, the electric tugs can move aircraft at up to 25kph with zero emissions and no noise. The two electric tractors are "workhorses": they transport aircraft across the apron in Frankfurt for over ten hours a day on average. The daily energy requirement for the towing jobs is sometimes twice as high as the battery capacity. The lithium-ion battery system enables rapid recharging during short work interruptions, which is done by means of a dedicated charging infrastructure. The e-tow tractors naturally "fill up" with green electricity.
The Lufthansa Group has set itself ambitious climate protection goals and aims to achieve a neutral COâ‚‚ balance by 2050.
Image: Lufthansa Group
