The electric cars are taking over the world. However, when it comes to specialized vehicles in various industries, the transition is slow because conversions are complicated and costly. There is, though, a unique electric Ford in Denmark that helps dock some of the world's largest cargo ships.
The first electric tug in Scandinavia and the first of its kind in the world operates in the Port of Aarhus, on the eastern coast of Denmark. What does the vehicle do exactly? When a ship is ready to dock, the Ford comes in.
The ropes, which are lines specifically designed to secure the massive cargo ships in place, are drawn in and positioned by the vehicle, which integrates two electric motors: one of them sets it in motion, while the other one pulls the ropes tightly. The Ford E-Transit benefits from the presence of 266 horsepower (269 metric horsepower) and 317 lb-ft (430 Nm) of torque across all configurations. The model is equipped with a 68 kWh battery pack that provides it with a range of 126 miles (204 kilometers).
The Port of Aarhus has gone for this solution in an attempt to minimize footprint as much as possible. A tug vehicle that both pulls the ropes and moves solely on electricity is new in the field. Prior to using electricity, the center made use of diesel-powered vehicles only.
It is a Ford E-Transit modified by Ford and Knebel Drilling in collaboration with the administration of the Danish port, which is the country's largest commercial port. Its target is to be CO2-neutral by 2030. With a newly developed vehicle, operating based on a whole new principle, the port is planning to shift its entire land fleet. The Port of Aarhus is aiming to become the most sustainable in the Baltic Sea.
The E-Transit functions like any other tug vehicle. Therefore, operators did not need any special training to switch from what they used to work with to the new one.
On the old tug vehicle, the winch also ran on a small diesel engine and made plenty of noise. On electric power, noise while reeling in the mooring lines to secure the cargo ships is reduced down to zero, without causing disruptions in communication between the operator and the captain of the ship, for instance.
Powered by an independent 24-volt power system, the electric winches make no noise, but can pull just as much as a diesel-powered one, which is around 1,764 pounds (800 kilograms). The vehicle is equipped with two winches, one placed vertically and the other one installed horizontally, at the back of the cab.
There are approximately 3,3000 mooring operations each year at the Port of Aarhus, so the modded E-Transit has no time to holiday.
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