Electric Straddle Carriers | Energy Central

CleanTechnica: “Ultra-fast chargers for electric staddle carriers coming to London Gateway Port.” Most EV news is about personal + commercial transportation, almost all of it on roads: cars, SUVs, trucks, ebikes, + more. But let’s look at straddle vehicles as an example of a key industrial application. “Replacing diesel cargo transport vehicles at ports is beneficial because they generate too many dirty emissions, which are both bad for the climate and human health.” Into this gap arrives KEMPOWER, a DC fast-charging manufacturer based in Finland, which has just announced that the company has partnered to provide an ultra-high-power 500A continuous charging system for KALMAR electric straddle carriers in Britain. Straddle carriers are mobile cranes that move cargo containers around within port terminals. And London Gatew handles about one million containers per year. The ultra-high-power system delivers a continuous 350 kW for 45 minutes after 8 hrs of work, perfectly aligned with a standard drive break, a game-changer for efficient port operations. “Kempower’s charging system offers several benefits, such as its modular and scalable design.” The straddle carriers typically do not arrive for powering up with a state of charge (SoC) down all the way to 0%, rather usually between 10-30%. Nonetheless, charging from 0-80% could make use of the 45-minute break between shifts. “Transitioning to electric eliminates the need for diesel, reducing emissions and contributing to greener port operations.” All of this is part of the global drive for electrification of transportation. Since people won’t see these rolling down their neighborhood streets, they will be unaware aside from the disappearance of sulfurous diesel pollution in communities around ports, unless they realize this is part of the effort to decarbonize the whole world.