The world’s largest battery-powered rail vehicle is currently being built in Skelleftehamn, Sweden and it will soon be time to pull back the dust cover and present the result.
The vehicle is the prototype battery-powered Multi Purpose Vehicle (MPV) on which work commenced in the autumn of 2019 at Railcare’s Skelleftehamn workshop. The MPV will be equipped with its own power source, vacuum pumps, hydraulics and operator cabs, enabling its use as a battery-powered complement to Railcare’s railway vacuum cleaner and snowmelter, and can also act as a towing vehicle for macadam wagons during track works. The foremost advantage: minimum emissions.
“For work underground and in urban centers, with strict demands in terms of safety, the working environment and high efficiency, we perceive considerable potential for emissions-free work vehicles in our existing markets, as well as opportunities to secure projects from new customer categories,” says Daniel Öholm, CEO of Railcare Group AB.
Noise-level testing
While the vehicle is being built in Skelleftehamn, Sweden, Epiroc is developing systems to connect several of their battery packs to raise the MPV’s capacity. Each ST battery pack comprises several sub-packs, in turn containing battery cell modules.
Initial tests have been performed to measure the noise levels of the vacuum system, which is powered by an Epiroc battery pack.
“Following our tests, we noted quite clearly that the MPV’s noise levels are significantly more favorable than those from a diesel-powered machine,” says Ulf Marklund, Operations Manager at Railcare Machine.
Although, as usually is the case with product development, many things must be manufactured and assembled, the schedule has thus far been maintained.
“If all goes as planned, we could already have the first and largest battery-powered track-bound maintenance vehicle in production after the summer,” says Ulf Marklund.
