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Cargotec's Kalmar to offer fast-charging electric shuttle straddle carriers

KALMAR, part of Cargotec, has devised the sea port industry's first fast charging solution for electric powered shuttle and straddle carriers that is emission free and can be applied to both automated and manual operation.

The company said in a statement that it is continuing to test the solution, branded "FastCharge", at the Tampere Technology and Competence Centre in Finland, and plans to bring the solution to market during 2016.

The FastCharge solution that aims to help terminals meet tighter environmental requirements is based on the same charging technology that is used in electric buses. The charging station, with a pantograph direct current charging system, is located flexibly on the working route of the machines in the terminal.

The machine has modern lithium-ion batteries which enable fast charging to be used. Charging happens during the idle time in the machine working cycle when it has stopped to wait for the container. Typical charging time in operation is 30 to 180 seconds, and with a maximum charging power of 600 kW, full charge can be achieved in a few minutes.

"Customers have been asking for electric powered shuttle operation for a while already," said vice president, Horizontal Transportation at Kalmar Tero Kokko.

"This technology makes the charging process smooth, as there is no need to take the machine out of operation for battery swapping. Neither is there a need to invest in battery swapping stations and extra batteries," said Dr Kokko.