Spierings fully electric crane for France

The first Spierings SK487-AT3 City Boy electric mobile crane for Cauvas Occilev in France. Photo: Spierings

Crane manufacturer Spierings has delivered its first 100 per cent electric wheeled mobile crane in France.

“The Dutch engineered crane represents a major advance for the French crane market, offering a unique zero-emission solution for lifting operations,” commented David Colombat, Spierings sales engineer for France. There are around 45 Spierings cranes in France out of a total of more than 1,500 units in Europe.

Customer Cauvas Occilev took delivery of the three axle SK487-AT3 City Boy wheeled mobile folding tower crane from the Dutch manufacturer. It already has a bigger, four axle, SK597-AT4 and is soon to take delivery of an even larger new SK1265-AT5 on five axles.

Pressure continues to increase for urban construction sites to operate in more confined space and also producing fewer harmful exhaust and noise emissions at the point of use. “The City Boy provides a practical answer. Its hybrid concept enables both road travel and crane operations in fully electric mode,” Colombat continued.

Cauvas Group based its decision to choose the electric Spierings on four key points: compactness; zero emissions; service back up; experience and engineering quality.

The City Boy is 2.5 metres wide, allowing access to narrow city streets and job sites. As a 100 % electric crane, it can be operated from its onboard battery, an external battery energy storage system, a 16 or 32 Amp grid connection or combination thereof. Crane operation can continue into the night in city low emission zones (LEZ) quietly and without exhaust fumes.

The Cauvas team at the Spierings factory in the Netherlands taking delivery of the new crane from David Colombat, Spierings sales engineer for France, right. Photo: Spierings

On hand 24-7

Spierings offers an assistance service 24-7 which is useful as Cauvas often works at night. The Smart Connect system using a 4G modem allows remote diagnosis and troubleshooting on the crane.

“What we value most is the City Boy’s unique electric versatility in the French market, combined with Spierings’ recognised expertise. With the City Boy we want to create a new market by offering our clients a lifting solution for sites with restricted access, especially in city centres. It also allows us to meet the growing demand for environmentally responsible lifting solutions,” explained Benjamin Cauvas, Cauvas Group director.

Family-owned Cauvas has specialized for more than 50 years in lifting, transport, handling, and aerial work platforms. Its fleet of more than 25 cranes are in lifting capacities from 30 right up to 450 tonnes. The Occilev business operates in the Île-de-France region. There are two depots in Bonneuil-en-France and Lisses.