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Status of electric pushback tugs at MAD (Madrid)?
I haven't seen them for a while. Thus, are there problems with them? AFAIK the brand is Mototok and they were used to push back Iberia's 319-320-321 at terminal T4. They looked really cool and I couldn't stop thinking how cost-effective (no driver) and tidy (no plume of smoke) they seemed to be. By the way, are they in use elsewhere? Regards,
Re: Status of electric pushback tugs at MAD (Madrid)?
Are these the little robot ones that fit to the nosewheel? I believe a version may be in use in the US
Re: Status of electric pushback tugs at MAD (Madrid)?
Yes, indeed. Take a look at the following link. There could be more manufacturers, I presume. Regards,
https://www.mototok.com/tugs/aircraft-up-to-95t
https://www.mototok.com/tugs/aircraft-up-to-95t
Re: Status of electric pushback tugs at MAD (Madrid)?
Piece of Shit.
Re: Status of electric pushback tugs at MAD (Madrid)?
Dear all,
Electric drive would be great for tugs. Max. torque at 0rpm, heavy batteries provide grip, braking energy fed back into the batteries.
The environmental benefit comes on top.
Hendric
Electric drive would be great for tugs. Max. torque at 0rpm, heavy batteries provide grip, braking energy fed back into the batteries.
The environmental benefit comes on top.
Hendric
Re: Status of electric pushback tugs at MAD (Madrid)?
There are electric tugs (with driver) already: https://www.electrive.com/2021/12/21/lu ... g-tractor/
Re: Status of electric pushback tugs at MAD (Madrid)?
They cost about the same as a normal push-back tractor, they still require an operator and are absolutely useless in low-traction situations (e.g. snow). They are also very slow, which means that getting them from one gate to another takes an eternity. And they break. All. The. Time.
A company I was involved with had 3 on trial. Handed them all back at the end of the trial, as they were more a liability than a benefit.
If you want an EV tractor, give Kalmar a call and they’ll happily sell you an EV powered TBL. Get your equipment, training, procedures and approvals in place, and you can easily perform push-back and towing with a single operator using a TBL. Beats the living daylight out of a Mototok any day of the week.
A company I was involved with had 3 on trial. Handed them all back at the end of the trial, as they were more a liability than a benefit.
If you want an EV tractor, give Kalmar a call and they’ll happily sell you an EV powered TBL. Get your equipment, training, procedures and approvals in place, and you can easily perform push-back and towing with a single operator using a TBL. Beats the living daylight out of a Mototok any day of the week.
Re: Status of electric pushback tugs at MAD (Madrid)?
TUGMASTER wrote:Piece of Shit.
Re: Status of electric pushback tugs at MAD (Madrid)?
There are used extensively at LHR T5
Re: Status of electric pushback tugs at MAD (Madrid)?
Update: I saw one yesterday pushing back an A320Neo. And again, my feeling: pretty cool, small but apparently powerful. And... only one person to complete the operation, instead of two (sorry, Tugmaster, but it is the future, I presume....).
Re: Status of electric pushback tugs at MAD (Madrid)?
spantax wrote:Update: I saw one yesterday pushing back an A320Neo. And again, my feeling: pretty cool, small but apparently powerful. And... only one person to complete the operation, instead of two (sorry, Tugmaster, but it is the future, I presume....).
I’m not sure where the 1 operator vs 2 thing is coming from, most pushbacks only use a single operator. Any disconnecting that can’t be done by the driver is usually done by one of the wingwalkers (in North America at least), and they aren’t going away any time soon. At the end of the day is still a 2 or 3 person operation depending on how many wingwalkers you use
Re: Status of electric pushback tugs at MAD (Madrid)?
The 1 versus 2 thing comes from my personal observation. Everytime I have seen the electric tug, the whole operation was done by 1 single person, who completes alone the maneuver. The disconnecting is also done without this operator touching anything. Thus: 1 person instead of 2 (= cost reduction).
Re: Status of electric pushback tugs at MAD (Madrid)?
452QX wrote:spantax wrote:At the end of the day is still a 2 or 3 person operation depending on how many wingwalkers you use
Negative, not in this neck of the woods it ain’t. Push-back and towing is performed by a single person, and no wing walkers are employed. Requires a TBL, a bluetooth headset, training and local approval. Been done like that for well over a decade at my home airport without a single incident.
Incidentally, wing walkers is perhaps the most stupid waste of manpower at an airport. They’re solely there for show, and only provides a theoretical benefit in a risk assessment. Out in the real world, they’re utterly surplus to requirements in all but a few distinct cases. But some airlines/airports use them almost religiously, most likely as an arse covering exercise.