Plowing snow or wiping the road: E-vehicles are increasingly in demand.

Their names are Reto and Beat, they mop roads, clear away snow, take away waste, and more and more municipalities are relying on them: We are talking about the electric municipal vehicles of the company Viktor Meili AG, which are CO2-free on the road and for which the Schwyz family business was awarded the Watt d'Or in 2020.

Lausanne, Rapperswil, Baden, the building insurance of the canton of Zurich or the company Boehringer-Ingelheim in Germany want to rely on e-municipal vehicles in the future. Two vehicles are going to the city of Lausanne. They will be used there for refuse collection and winter services and for leaf mopping in the fall, so they are multifunctional. This means that they can be equipped with a salt spreader, plow or blower (for the leaves) as required.

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The Watt d'Or, the prestigious award of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy, will be awarded for the sixteenth time on January 12, 2023. Surprising, innovative and forward-looking energy initiatives and projects are sought for the Watt d'Or 2023. Proposals can be submitted until July 15, 2022. Info is available at www.wattdor.ch.

Applications for Watt d'Or 2023 are being accepted in four categories: Energy Technologies, Renewable Energies, Energy Efficient Mobility, Buildings and Space
Two electric Meili municipal vehicles are already in use: Le Chénit in the Vallée de Joux and the Canton of Schwyz have each purchased one vehicle. Of the 60 municipal vehicles in Canton Schwyz's fleet, some will need to be replaced from 2024, says Urs Ziltener of the Schwyz Civil Engineering Office. "He is convinced that the future of municipal vehicles also belongs to those with electric drives. That's why the first such vehicle is now being tested.

Since January 2022, the Schwyzer Tiefbauamt has been using the vehicle for winter services (snow removal with the plow and for salt spreading) and for normal street cleaning. The coming winter will show whether and how the vehicle is also suitable for winter service on the higher cantonal roads.

In the current operations, the battery is sufficient for the whole day. Plugging it in over midday is not necessary, he said. "We are satisfied with the performance so far," says Urs Ziltener. In terms of maintenance, too, expectations are being met, says Ziltener. The costs are about a third lower than for diesel vehicles. However, the acquisition costs for an electric municipal vehicle are about twice as high.

"Small quantities

"E-municipal vehicles are still a niche," says company boss Manuel Meili. They are still produced in very small quantities, tailored to the needs of the customer. The fact that the hydraulic drive on conventional equipment carriers can be replaced by an electric drive is a challenge, but possible, he says. Because the new electric vehicles are to be equipped with the same possibilities.

The price plays a major role, says Meili, but it is also a question of acceptance whether a municipality buys an electric municipal vehicle. Especially for winter service, operating times of seven to eight hours are necessary, which requires a corresponding battery power. This is because a municipality must be able to rely on the vehicle being used for as long as desired. The eight vehicles that will soon be in service can now provide this proof of concept.

Over 100 years of tradition

The company Viktor Meili AG has been producing municipal vehicles for 100 years. Of the 60 to 70 vehicles that the company produces each year, around ten percent have an electric drive, while the others run on diesel. The family business employs 40 people.

Currently, the company is developing even larger vehicles (over eight tons total weight) - for example, for use by the fire department. This vehicle will then have a water tank for initial use in firefighting operations. The first such vehicle is expected to be in production by the end of 2022. This development is being supported by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy via a targeted call for tenders as part of the pilot and demonstration program

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Brigitte Mader, Communication, Swiss Federal Office of Energy