Aero Mag, a Canadian company specializing in aircraft de-icing operations, plans to launch the world’s first electrically-powered truck intended for plane de-icing procedures. The truck will not be fully electric, though.
The Canadian company scheduled the launch of the technology on December 17, 2020. Aero Mag plans to hold a demonstration of the electrically powered aircraft de-icing truck on one of Air Canada’s (ADH2) jets. The manufacturer announced that while the Elephant Beta Hybrid de-icer, a hybrid version of the de-icing truck, would be able to operate without running a diesel engine, it would also consume less fuel required for de-icing operations and this way would help to reduce the environmental footprint of air carriers.
The new truck would be driven to the de-icing area with the chassis diesel-powered engine, which would be switched to the battery-power once the de-icing procedure started, including maneuvering around the aircraft. This way, the aircraft de-icing process without running the diesel-powered engine should help to cut emissions as well as reduce noise.
“Designed and manufactured by The Vestergaard Company, in close collaboration with Aero Mag’s team, this world’s first electrically powered de-icing truck is a testament to Aero Mag’s ongoing commitment to safety, operational efficiency, innovation, and environmental protection,“ read the company’s statement.
Elephant Beta Hybrid is suitable to carry out the engines-running de-icing procedure and service all types of planes. As the truck is equipped with several lithium-ion battery-capacity options as well as a battery management system, the Canadian company counted that with a fully charged battery, the new truck would be able to service from 15 to 20 aircraft without running its diesel-powered chassis engine. Besides, to make the hybrid truck more flexible, the manufacturer installed an on-board charger, which allows plugging the vehicle “almost everywhere“.
Aer Mag expected that the new hybrid de-icing truck would become the first step to fully fossil-free solutions for the aviation industry.