Time launches all-electric lift using SEV chassis

Danish vehicle mounted platform manufacturer Time will launch its first all-electric truck mounted platforms on 3 December at its Farsø headquarters in Denmark. The first 3.5 t GVW units use the Edison chassis produced by Tanfield Group's electric vehicle division, Smith Electric Vehicles (SEV.

Time, which is the European subsidiary of US-based utility lift manufacturer Time Manufacturing, said the new 3.5 t GVW truck will be the first vehicles in Europe where both lift and chassis are electrically powered. Two of the first machines will be delivered to customers in England and Scotland before the end of the year.

The first electric lift is the ET-32-LFXS with a working height of 11 m and fully proportional controls mounted on a 3.5 t GVW Edison chassis manufactured by SEV in the UK. It has a 90 kW induction motor and uses a 40 kWh Lithium Ion Iron Phosphate (Li Fe PH4) battery with a fully automatic charger. The machine has a 160 km range on a full charge, minus around 10% with lift usage (140 - 150km).

Time said it geared up its research and development activities in the past year and hired more engineers to finish designing the new "green" product series. The new series will be shown at the Bright Green fair at the Forum convention center in Copenhagen on December 12-13. Bright Green will be held in connection with the COP15 Climate Conference in Copenhagen.

The company said it makes sense that truck mounted lifts, which are used by utilities and municipalities, are among the first all-electric vehicles. One of the reasons is that they typically only service a small geographical area, which means that the 160 km range is sufficient. Another is that they drive mostly in urban areas, where the 100 % clean and CO2-neutral operation and a practically silent motor is a big advantage.

As well as 3.5 t models, the "green" series will include 4.2 t, 4.6 t, 7.5 t, 10.5 t and 12 t units.

Electric vehicles tend to be heavier than those that are diesel powered. To keep the weight down on the new electric lift vans, the lift has been built in a light construction, with the frame in high-strength steel and rear platform in aluminium. The weight is 3300 kg, which provides the same 200 kg payload for people and tools as the equivalent diesel lift. A total weight of 3500 kg means that only a regular driving license is required to drive the van lift.

The selection of lithium batteries also keeps the weight down as they offer high performance for their size and weight and perform consistently over the life of the battery.

Electric lift vehicles have a higher cost price than equivalent diesel machines. The lift costs the same, but Time said that the electric vehicle itself is about three times as expensive as a diesel.

However, Time said that the "fuel economy" is much better and, with many fewer wear parts in an electric motor, there is less maintenance. The company claimed that the extra investment in the electric vehicle should pay off in between three and five years, after which the owner will be saving money and has the bonus of zero emissions.