ANA converts old belt loader to EV, plans to use it for another 15 years

ANA Diesel-to-EV Belt Loader
ANA converted one of its retired belt loaders into an EV. (Image: ANA)

On May 20, 2024, ANA announced that its group company ANA Motor Service converted one of its old belt loaders from being diesel-powered to using electricity. While not clear at what pace, ANA plans to convert more diesel-powered ground support equipment to electric vehicles in the future.

The converted belt loader was put into use at Tokyo Narita Airport in 1994 and was retired in 2022 after 29 years of use. After that, ANA Motor Service worked on planning and executing the diesel-to-EV conversion in cooperation with the Association for the Promotion of Electric Vehicles.

ANA plans to put the converted vehicle into service at Tokyo Haneda Airport this summer. The electrified belt loader is expected to be capable of covering one day worth of work at Tokyo Haneda Airport on a single charge. Charging is expected to take an hour or more.

By converting old belt loaders from diesel to EVs, ANA expects to add 15 years of lifetime to the vehicles which are generally retired after approximately 25 years.

ANA Motor Service manages and maintains approximately 14,000 pieces of ground service equipment and 132 passenger boarding bridges at airports around Japan.

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