Fraport has put two fully electric Goldhofer E-Phoenix aircraft tugs into operation at Frankfurt Airport, with a third unit already on order. The towbarless vehicles are being used on the apron for moving large passenger aircraft, including wide-body jets, as part of the airport operator’s wider push to electrify its ground fleet.
The project received support from the Hessian Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy, Transport, Housing and Rural Areas through the state’s electromobility funding programme. The ministry provided 171,700 euros toward the purchase of the vehicles.
Goldhofer’s E-Phoenix tug is designed to handle aircraft weighing up to 352 tonnes. It has a battery capacity of about 240 kilowatt-hours and can be fully recharged in roughly 1.5 hours using fast charging. The 700V lithium-ion system is paired with a 240 kW drive motor, allowing the tug to move aircraft without a towbar during pushback and repositioning tasks.