Ford E-Transit helps to dock huge container ships
Since we launched our E-Transit 1 electric van in 2022, it’s been turned into an ambulance, cleaned up fish deliveries across London – and now a unique E-Transit is helping to dock vast cargo ships at Port of Aarhus, the largest container terminal in Denmark.
Container ships use a network of cables to secure their position while in port. These are too heavy to pull by hand, so dock workers need to use powerful winches to handle them. In keeping with the Port of Aarhus’ goal of carbon neutrality by 2030, an E‑Transit was specially converted into a “cable car” to replace the port’s diesel-powered vehicles.
A bare E-Transit chassis was the ideal blank canvas for such a specialist conversion. The expert Ford Pro-approved converter behind the vehicle fitted two winches, each capable of pulling up to 700 kg. Aluminium was chosen for the bespoke bodywork for its light weight and resistance to corrosion from salty sea air.
In an impressive and curious ballet, dockers use one of the winches to anchor the E-Transit in place while the other winds in the heavy cables as container ships moor up.
Using an electric cable car isn’t just good for the port’s carbon neutrality; the new vehicle also produces less noise compared to a diesel model and zero tailpipe emissions, making the Port of Aarhus a better working environment. Here’s the cable car in action...
¹ In accordance with the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test
Procedure (WLTP). A range of up to 317 km (intended target value according to
WLTP) can be achieved with a fully charged battery - depending on the existing
series and battery configuration.
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