Mercedes eEconic, the zero-emission helicopter refueling solution for Airbus

Thanks to a collaboration between Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks and ROHR Spezialfahrzeuge, a brand-new Mercedes eEconic has been used as an electric helicopter refueling vehicle. According to Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks, Airbus Helicopters’ initial experience shows that with the installed battery capacity, the tanker can be used in normal operation for about a week without intermediate charging.

The tank body for the aviation fuel containing SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) comes from ROHR Spezialfahrzeuge. The experts at ROHR and Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks have jointly implemented the integration of the tank and base vehicle. The intention behind the addition of the all-electric refueling vehicle to the fleet is to reduce emissions from the handling fleet and make the immediate vehicle environment a more pleasant place for employees to work.

Mercedes eEconic with a special tank body

The eEconic has an electric axle with an integrated drive unit, as well as two electric motors that generate a continuous output of 330 kW. The battery packs of the eEconic can be charged at a power output of up to 160 kW. Since the pump in the tank body also draws on the vehicle batteries, a single charging process ensures the energy supply for both driving and refueling.

The above mentioned vehicle is equipped with a special tank body with a useful capacity of 16,500 liters. The pump is operated hydraulically via an electric power take-off system (ePTO). As the pump in the tank body also draws on the energy stored in the vehicle batteries, one single charging process is sufficient to ensure the energy supply for both driving and refueling.