For a while now, the electric Knikmops KM 100 E has been driving around among the lush vegetation and maintained paths of Utrecht University's Botanical Gardens. This compact, manoeuvrable articulated loader contributes to the preservation and care of one of the greenest places in the city in a quiet and emission-free way. In this blog post, we look at why the Gebroeders Geens electric articulated loader was chosen.
Knikmops KM 100 E in the Botanical Gardens of Utrecht University
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Utrecht University has been encouraging the Botanical Gardens to switch to electric for some time. At the Botanical Gardens themselves, the staff have also long been convinced of zero-emission working; No noisy engine, no annoying emissions, and just plug it in to charge in the evening.
In the vicinity of Utrecht, the ground is a wet clay soil, so an electric lightweight machine was a must-have. Before this, a small tractor with a front lift was used. Because the front lift was frequently used, a multifunctional articulated loader was a consideration when a new machine had to be purchased. At that point, Gerard and his team started a long search for a suitable loader.
There seemed to be no electrical solution until the Knikmops, weighing just 1345 kilos, came into the picture. From that moment, things moved very fast. The prototype of the very first Knikmops KM100E was loaned to them on demo. To quote Gerard van Buiten, this was just 'great'. Especially when it became clear that the small articulated loader could be extended with options.
Today, there are about 15 people who drive the machine. It is therefore very important that the operation of the Knikmops is intuitive and user-friendly. After testing various brands, the Knikmops emerged as the winner. "Compact, safe and great to operate," said Gerard van Buiten and his team. The Knikmops KM100E runs for several hours on the uneven paths in the famous Rock Garden. For this, it is very important that the articulated loader is stable. Like all other Knikmops, the Knikmops KM100E has hydraulic all-wheel drive via four hydraulic motors in the wheels. This means that no prop shaft is necessary and the centre of gravity of the compact articulated loader is low. This benefits stability.
Remarkably unnoticeable
With a number of visitors totalling two hundred thousand people a year, it is very pleasant to work with zero emissions: No noise pollution or smelly emissions. The electric Knikmops has no polluting emissions and makes very little noise. "This is ideal for the comfort of the visitors," says Gerard. Although the Knikmops and Rollmops are normally yellow in colour, anything is possible at Gebroeders Geens. For example, the KM 100 E which drives through the various gardens is painted in the dark green company colour. They chose this because it would allow the Knikmops to blend into the background even more. So visitors will probably hardly realize it's there.
A battery with endurance
With one Knikmops for an area of 10 hectares, the articulated loader is used intensively. The loader not only provides more comfort for visitors, but is also much needed. It is therefore important that the articulated loader is available all day long. Because the Knikmops KM 100 E has a battery capacity of 30 kWh, the machine can last all day. Even in winter. The only thing the last driver must do is to put the Knikmops on the charger when the working day is over.
This can also be fully adapted to your working schedule. In addition to the standard charger, Gebroeders Geens also offers fast chargers. A standard charger can fully charge your Knikmops in 7 hours. By the way, did you know that Gebroeders Geens uses a fireproof LFP battery for Knikmops? Read all about the benefits here.
Tips
That it was going to be an electric Knikmops became clear to the Botanical Gardens of Utrecht University soon after the demo. They were convinced by the intuitive operation, the ideal weight and the stability. After a year of working with it, there are also other things that confirm their choice. Gerard explains: 'The Knikmops KM100E has a pedal that allows you to adjust your power easily. This inching pedal allows the motor to continue to run at a low speed. Handy if you are working with an attachment.'
Thanks to the two gears, covering larger distances becomes a lot easier. This allows the electric articulated loader to reach a speed of 13 km/h. Together with the four-wheel drive, this means that workers can easily reach almost anywhere in the park. Gerard was very pleased with the lateral stability, for example in the uneven rock garden. Many staff members who do not necessarily have machine experience use the Knikmops, so they also need to be able to continue to work safely. The Knikmops KM100E provided reassurance here.
Looking ahead to the future
At the Botanical Gardens of the University of Utrecht, they are confident that they made the right purchase. So they are including the Knikmops KM100E in their future plans. The glasshouses or greenhouses will have to be renovated. Currently, the paths here are not suitable for the small articulated loader and the staff have to do a lot of manual work here. The new greenhouses will have paths on which the Knikmops KM100E can manoeuvre perfectly. So the zero-emission articulated loader will also be able to support the staff of the Botanical Gardens of the University of Utrecht there. A great plan, if you ask us!
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