Stuttgart develops electric tankers

Stuttgart Airport, Skytanking and RWTH Aachen University have joined forces to develop a fully electric tank truck for airports. Total costs of EUR 5,8 million and a total grant of around EUR 2,8 million were approved for the joint project.

As one of the largest service providers in the aviation fuel industry, Skytanking will help to develop and operate the first all-electric airfield tank truck with a capacity of 40.000 liters. In the recent past there have been projects with smaller refueling vehicles, but a fully electric tanker weighing around 52 tons represents a very special challenge. This requires innovative and new solutions, which are the focus of this research and development project.

The project is another important milestone on the way to emission-free apron traffic at Stuttgart Airport. The aim is to complete the project by 2026, with local emissions already being reduced from 2024 through the use of new vehicles, thereby improving air quality. When making the selection, the consortium will also consider the entire life cycle of the devices and test optimized charging strategies. For other airports and fuel service providers, the site will serve as a live demonstrator and also support the standardization process.