Italian side loader manufacturer Baumann has announced the launch of a new range of 120v electric side loaders to complement the company's successful and comprehensive range of diesel powered units and these are now available to customers in the UK, with immediate effect.

The new range of electric side loaders from Baumann is available in three variations, with each model having a 120v system, energy saving features, and heavy duty components, all of which generate real energy-savings that prolong battery life and extend shift working.

Electric side loaders are not new to the Baumann product line up, as the company has been manufacturing them in various guises for more than 25 years. The recent development of the latest specification Baumann electric side loaders has resulted from noticeable changes in customer demand and according to Baumann's Andrew Burton, "Electric powered side loaders have become increasingly popular across Europe, with more and more requests from customers to push the work cycle capacity even further."

"The Baumann electric side loaders offer the same travel and lift speeds as traditional diesel powered units but, most importantly, they enable customers to benefit from massive savings on operational costs," said Andrew Burton.

Recently, a Baumann customer revealed that his actual cost saving of using the Baumann electric unit over the diesel version. Their data was collected over 9000 working hours and the cost saving on fuel over this period for this customer was £14,000.00.

With the economy in mind, maintenance costs on a Baumann electric side loader are generally 50% less than its equivalent diesel unit, again resulting in considerable financial operating cost savings over the working life of the side loader.

In today's environmentally conscious society, there is also the added benefit from a Baumann electric side loader that it offers a massive reduction in noise pollution as well as practically zero emissions.

In general, the market has simply tried to increase working patterns by increasing battery sizes using the 80v system. This results in an extremely heavy truck, which requires more power to move, causes damage to surfaces and requires batteries so big that they are difficult to change if multiple shifts are required.

Baumann has developed the 120v system with a different philosophy, increasing the operating system and components and achieving the same, if not better, performance levels as a larger/heavier battery using an 80v system. Should a customer require multiple shifts to be operated, the new system makes battery changing much simpler as fork pockets are integrated into the battery box which can be lifted out and replaced quickly.

Baumann confirms that the same power and performance achieved by an electric truck fitted with 80v system and a 1250Ah battery can also be obtained by using a Baumann electric truck with a 120v system and 750Ah battery. The smaller battery will be much lighter and the efficiency of the system much better.

"We believe that the new 8tonne Baumann electric side loader will have a significant future here in the UK and we have developed demonstration units that we will be taking to potential customers for them to evaluate the operational , environmental and financial benefits of the units," added Andrew Burton.

Baumann is the world's largest manufacturer of diesel, LPG and electric side loaders, ranging from 3tonne to 50tonne capacity and all are produced at the company's manufacturing facility in Cavaion, Italy. A family company established in 1969, Baumann sells its products worldwide through 106 dealers in 76 countries.