Zero-Emission trailer drive

Wierda Hybrid Technologies presents the world's first all-electric concrete mixer trailer. The all-electric drive makes the conventional diesel drive unnecessary. Concrete handling becomes quieter and cleaner, without compromising on ease of use and deployment.

Environmental targets, CO₂-reduction, environmental zones and local restrictions are increasingly challenging the transportation sector. This particularly plays out in major cities. But since that is precisely where most construction activity takes place, this is a huge challenge for the construction industry. Electric transport is not that difficult for a parcel service, but for those who need to bring concrete into the inner city, it becomes quite a puzzle. The electric concrete mixer trailer is a step in the right direction.

Drive

The 200 kW electric motor can provide enough torque to handle all types of concrete. The battery pack is made up of 80 LiFePO4 battery cells and delivers a total of 50 kWh. This is enough to do between 10 and 15 trips per day, depending of course on the type of concrete and distances. It does not matter what kind of body or trailer needs to be driven. The battery pack is scalable and, in addition to 50 kWh, is available in 30 kWh and 60 kWh capacities.

Thanks to the electric drive, concrete processing becomes quieter and cleaner, without compromising on ease of use and deployment.

Development

The system was developed entirely in-house and complements Wierda Hybrid Technologies' current product range. Naturally, experiences gained with the Electric PTO, the hybrid drive for concrete mixers, truck-mounted cranes and aerial work platforms, were taken into account in the development. "Major differences are in the required engine power of the systems and thus also in the purchase price. The hybrid always still has the diesel engine as backup and the fully electric drive does not," says Jan-Johan Kamstra, commercial manager at Wierda.

Electric driving

The electric trailer is now readily available and deployable. The system can be used in combination with a conventional diesel tractor, possibly on HVO, and in the future with an electric tractor. "That future electric tractor, by the way, we can already offer now. Together with FRAMO, we supply electric drivelines that are suitable and approved for the Dutch market," Kamstra says. "We prefer to work pragmatically: start at the beginning, keep learning and make sure that what we build continues to function." With the electric mixer trailer, Wierda Hybrid Technologies wants to take another such step. A step that has impact now and ensures that the trailer will still be usable 10 years from now.