Clean Solution: Electric Disposal and Cleaning Vehicles from Designwerk

Heavy electric commercial vehicles on a clean mission: Designwerk Technologies AG will present its latest electric special vehicles for the municipal sector at IFAT 2024 from May 13 to 17 in Munich. The focus of the trade fair appearance will be on the first fully electric sewer cleaning vehicle Mid Cab Sewer Cleaner 6x2R based on the Kaiser Aquastar EV, the battery-electric waste collection vehicles Low Cab Collect and Mid Cab Collect, and the electric street sweeper Mid Cab Sweeper. Visitors can learn about the Designwerk electric vehicle range and the latest charging technology at the booth of distribution partner Faun Umwelttechnik GmbH in the outdoor area (booth FM.712.5).

Battery sizes from 125 to 250 kWh

Suction, flushing, or cleaning: The Swiss specialists adapt the sewer cleaning and waste collection vehicles as well as the electric street sweeper to the specific customer requirements and deliver the required battery capacity with it.

“As a general rule, we use battery sizes from 125 to 250 kWh as a basic module, which are mounted and managed as per the desired dimension and application case,” reports Fabian Bahlmann, Sales Manager for E-Trucks Northern Europe at Designwerk.

The models do not cause any local pollutant emissions and save up to 77% CO₂ emissions depending on the application and regional energy mix compared to the corresponding diesel equivalent. The electric special vehicles also have a particular advantage in stop-and-go operations. Depending on the application and topology, up to 14% of energy can be recovered. Lifting containers, cleaning sewers, or collecting garbage is also energy-efficient and significantly quieter thanks to electric auxiliary drives with up to 125 kW.

The first electric sewer cleaning vehicle

A highlight at the trade fair for water, wastewater, waste, and raw materials management is the first all-electric sewer cleaning vehicle Mid Cab Sewer Cleaner 6x2R based on the Kaiser Aquastar EV. The special vehicle, which is manufactured in cooperation with the international specialist Kaiser AG from Liechtenstein, is equipped with a battery capacity of up to 508 kWh. This allows it to operate for up to eight hours without recharging. Charging is done with a power of up to 350 kW. As with the conventional sewer cleaning vehicle, users also benefit from high pump performance with the electric version. Two high-efficiency electric auxiliary drives provide a flushing capacity of up to 300 liters per minute and a suction capacity of up to 3,100 m³ per hour. The battery-electric sewer cleaning vehicle will be on display in action at the VAK-Show in the outdoor area and in Hall C4, Stand 105/204.

The waste collection vehicle Low Cab Collect 6x2R

The waste collection vehicle Low Cab Collect 6x2R has a large battery capacity of 450 kWh despite its short wheelbase. The commercial vehicle is available in two wheelbase variants with 3,450 or 3,900 mm. In urban areas with narrow streets, the short wheelbase with a small turning circle contributes to increased maneuverability.

“We have designed the necessary battery capacity so that full-day operation is guaranteed even after ten years of use and in the cold season without intermediate charging,” explains Fabian Bahlmann.

The electric low-floor vehicle based on the Mercedes-Benz Econic is characterized by its low entry and exit, wide visibility, and low driver seat position. The vehicle-side loading infrastructure is also catered for, as the commercial vehicles each have two on-board chargers installed on the vehicle with a 44 kW AC charging power. This allows for overnight battery charging with gentle charging current.

The Mid Cab Sweeper 4x2R

In the Mid Cab Sweeper 4x2R, the turbine drive is purely electric, and the working hydraulics are designed as an electrohydraulic drive. The four motors of the sweeping vehicle provide a total output of 500 kW. Due to the linear torque, they bring their power directly to the road even in stop-and-go traffic. The recuperation function takes advantage of regular braking and feeds the recovered braking energy back into the system as electricity.

The MDC 88-920 with a charging power of 88 kW

Designwerk's exhibition appearance is rounded off with the new mobile DC fast charger MDC 88-920. The Overnight Charging model expands the mobility solutions with a powerful and practical unit for an efficient charging infrastructure of municipal operators. Due to the use of state-of-the-art SiC semiconductors with low switching losses, a sophisticated circuit topology, and a new air cooling system, the next-generation fast charger is more compact and more powerful than previous models. The MDC 88-920 enables a consistently high charging power of 88 kW at up to 920 V voltage.

“With the MDC 88-920, we are meeting the increased demand to charge commercial vehicles with a battery capacity of more than 500 kWh overnight or within eight to ten hours,” explains Bahlmann.