Gaussin & Total create electric aircraft-refuelling truck
Gaussin and Total have developed what they say is the world’s first purely electrically powered refuelling truck for aircraft. The prototype comprises two tank trailers, each with a capacity of 30 tons of fuel, and is expected to go into service at the end of this year.
The electric refuelling truck is to be used on the Airbus industrial site in Toulouse. The lithium-ion batteries for the vehicle will be supplied by Total’s French subsidiary Saft. These were developed and manufactured at the company’s plants in Nersac and Bordeaux in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. According to the partners, an entire fleet will be built on the basis of the tanker prototype.
Gaussin is a French manufacturer of special vehicles. The company produces vehicles for port terminals, airports, logistics and passenger mobility, among other things. So far, Total has been moving towards electric mobility, especially in the area of charging infrastructure. By the end of 2022, the French mineral oil group is planning to install around 1,000 charging points with ultra-fast charging columns with a capacity of up to 175 kW each at 300 locations in Western Europe.
According to current plans, Germany will have just under 70 locations with around 200 charging points. The first of these is scheduled to go into operation this spring. In the past Total relied on partners for charging points. The French energy company now wants to take this into its own hands – the offer is not to be limited to the motorways. According to an earlier announcement, the next step will be to “offer charging point concepts as a service at new locations, e.g. in office buildings or in public spaces”.
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