Terberg has developed the first fully electric yard tractor, the Terberg YT202-EV
March 22, 2013
Terberg has developed the first fully electric yard tractor, the Terberg YT202-EV.
Developed by Terberg’s Netherlands team, the tractor takes advantage of progress in Lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery technology.
The electric drive system is uncomplicated and therefore relatively low cost compared to the alternative hybrid diesel-electric system concept.
In addition, it requires little maintenance, is environmentally friendly with zero emissions, and is quiet for applications requiring low noise levels.
The Terberg YT202-EV can operate for a full shift of 8 to 16 hours after which it needs to be recharged for 1 to 1.5 hours.
The Li-ion battery has a life of around 3,500 to 5,000 charge cycles, or about 5 to 7 years, which is longer than the standard accounting write-off period for a yard tractor.
Terberg believes rising fuel costs will be the most persuasive sales argument for operators, along with significantly lower maintenance costs and the environmental factor.
The latter is becoming more important for planning authorities as they consider Greenfield development projects.
On-site testing of the Terberg YT202-EV has been underway since early 2012 with full scale production scheduled for later this year.
The ‘conventional’ diesel Terberg tractor is available in a 4×2, 4×4 and 6×4 configuration with the option of a Euro 5 compliant engine.
Terberg is sold and supported in Australia by Clark Equipment.