The Bremen city cleaning service is setting a clear example for climate protection and sustainability. In November, it presented its electric mobility strategy and part of the new e-fleet right in front of the townhall in the heart of the city. The fleet includes a Micro HG on FLUX and an X4 on Volvo Electric. 

The weather is changeable, but dry, in northern Germany, and the viewer is briefly reminded of the Bremen Town Musicians – just as the four vehicles are lined up in front of the townhall according to size. Not on top of each other, of course, but next to each other. And unlike the four rebellious fairy-tale animals, these ‘musicians’ are also very quiet.

ELEON, eSwingo 200+, FLUX and the Volvo ELECTRIC are to be used in both street cleaning and waste collection in the future and are the first in Bremen’s e-fleet. All eyes and the attention of the press are on them as the Bremer Stadtreinigung officially presents its electric mobility strategy together with the vehicles.

Kathrin Moosdorf, Senator for the Environment, Climate and Science, says: ‘The electric vehicles from DBS (Die Bremer Stadtreinigung) are not only an important contribution to keeping the city clean, but also to protecting the climate. They do not emit any pollutants or greenhouse gases into the city air, and they are also quiet. The fact that the fleet is gradually being converted to electric vehicles is an important step towards making Bremen climate-neutral by 2038.’

The fantastic four for a better carbon footprint

As part of its ‘Integrated Climate Protection Concept’, DBS has prepared a greenhouse gas balance in accordance with international standards. The result: a significant portion of the emissions in the transport sector is caused by the use of fossil fuels in the approximately 260 waste collection and street cleaning vehicles. In 2023, the fleet consumed approx. 1.3 million litres of diesel – a figure that the company wants to significantly reduce in the coming years.

Bremer Stadtreinigung has been working with ZÖLLER-KIPPER for many years. And of course, all vehicles are customised according to customer requirements anyway – but the Kombi Micro HG and FLUX is a very special one. Bernd Schmidt, Head of Sales, North Branch: ‘It is the first time that we have built a FLUX in and for Germany. A special customer request.’ FLUX is a Swiss company specialising in small electric commercial vehicles in the sprinter class. The two FLUX chassis have a Micro HG for emptying paper baskets at bus stops, in pedestrian zones and in parks throughout the city.

Also among the founding members of the e-fleet: an X4 on Volvo. Volker Ernst, managing director of Beteiligungsgesellschaft Abfalllogistik Bremen GmbH (ALB) is visibly proud: ‘We are proud to present our first fully electric refuse collection vehicle. The Volvo ELECTRIC has a ZÖLLER superstructure and has been used daily in refuse collection since 10 June 2024. The battery capacity is 375 kWh – which is currently sufficient for a full day of use. The employees are enthusiastic because the vehicle is reliable and quiet. It also reduces CO2 emissions by 25 to 30 tonnes per year. Another step towards a climate-friendly fleet.’ It sounds like the e-fleet will soon be growing and the four musicians will become a whole Bremen city orchestra.

The new plant in Berlin is actually the old one. However, in the summer of 2024 it was expanded and reorganised. The result after the first 100-plus days: extremely encouraging.

X-Family, the Micros and the MAGNUM XXL, plus the Service Branch East and even the FAUN Customer Centre: despite a total of 7,000 square metres, things were starting to get quite cramped in Rigistrasse in Berlin. With the greater need for kit assembly in Germany, it quickly became clear that additional space was needed. This was found at the beginning of the year in the immediate vicinity of the site on Malteserstrasse. Conveniently, it was an existing property that was ready for occupancy in the summer after a little renovation work. With more space for trucks, more customer parking spaces, excellent transport links and additional workstations in the workshop. In just two weeks, the service branch, customer centre and the special construction area moved with the Micro HG from ZOELLER. The latter now has plenty of room to grow. And the colleagues from the rear loader assembly line on Malteserstrasse are pleased about the extra space and new capacities. ‘They can now use the full 1,800 m² of the hall for assembly. Before it was 1,200 square metres,’ explains Markus Dautermann, COO ZOELLER GROUP.

More efficiency through focus on material flow
The company invested in an extension of the exhaust system and a new layout with a focus on material flow. This means that there is now more space for assembly, manoeuvring losses are minimised and additional space has been created for material supply, thus reducing distances. ‘All in all, this has led to higher assembly capacity with optimised throughput time,’ says Dautermann. ‘There are now half as many vehicles in the yard, yet output has increased.’

Jürgen Kowalke, Head of Sales and Service in Germany, explains: ‘The reorganisation has shortened delivery times and ensured even better adherence to delivery dates. Delivery quality has also been improved because there is now space to match orders even more meticulously.’ But there is something else that pleases the sales team, in addition to all the efficiency: ‘Vehicle handovers can now take place in a more pleasant setting!’

Lots of networking, presentations, and of course plenty of vehicles to get hands-on with—at the beginning of September, ZOELLER-KIPPER was once again a guest at North Rhine-Westphalia’s largest outdoor trade exhibition. A successful and varied event—even if for the first time, dark clouds loomed this year.

Where usually brakes on wet roads, cornering, and controlled skidding are practised, the municipal sector gathered for the tenth time on the 4th and 5th of September. A small anniversary for the networking event organised by WFZ Ruhr, the Business Development Centre Ruhr, a consortium of private and municipal waste disposal companies in the region. However, the industry event is now well known beyond the region, with over 1,000 trade visitors in September 2024, and 87 exhibitors showcasing everything the industry needs: from clothing and software to commercial vehicles of all weight classes, both alternative and conventionally powered.

From ZOELLER-KIPPER, the showcase included: a current MINI with an Omega 359 on a Mercedes Benz Atego – the specialist for narrow streets, dense development, and parked cars – nicknamed the “the agile city runabout.” Also featured was a MAGNUM XXL with skip loading as well as fresh from the factory, a current MEDIUM X4 on Designwerk, based on the Mercedes Benz Econic, with a Delta 2322. A “loan” from AVEA. For the waste disposal company from Leverkusen, this vehicle marks a premiere: the first fully electric refuse collection vehicle in their fleet, essentially meant to dispose of waste, which will later be used to generate energy—also for its batteries.

Heavenly Contribution to the Discussion
Overall, it was once again a very successful event, says Dirk Müller, a sales representative for the West branch. “We were on site with four to six people in changing shifts, had loads of good conversations… But if I were to sum it up succinctly, I’d say ‘between wellies and sandals.’ For the first time since we’ve been participating, it rained. And what rain! The first day saw torrential downpours. The next day was then bright sunshine.”
One might almost think that the weather gods wanted to contribute to the panel discussion, which focused on technologies for the mobility transition—alternative drives, hydrogen, bio-CNG, and e-mobility.

Every two years, the VAK, the trade association of the work equipment and municipal vehicle industry, presents an innovation award to recognise technologies that maintain quality of life and drive progress. In 2024, the ZOELLER subsidiary SCANTEC received the award for its first place in the assembly, component and control technology category.

The SCANTEC colleagues were delighted. “After all, the award shows that our technology really is one of the best solutions on the market. It is also a special kind of reward for the great commitment of everyone involved,” says SCANTEC Managing Director Ulrich Helfmeier. After all, he and his team have been working on the SmartScan technology for around two and a half years. “Some employees were even involved in the topic before that. Overall, we have been working on scanning waste for around five years,” says Helfmeier.

SmartScan is a recyclables scanner in the refuse collection vehicle that uses artificial intelligence to recognise incorrect waste. SmartScan analyses and assesses image data of the waste in the refuse collection vehicle fully automatically in real time without extending the duration of the tour. The image of the emptied waste is analysed for ten waste fractions with the help of artificial intelligence. The analysis is carried out both on the vehicle and via the ScanSuite results portal. The idea behind it: Increase recycling rates, reduce costs and increase sustainability. In addition, greater ability to act through data transparency – both on tours directly on the vehicle and in long-term dialogue with citizens. “The main beneficiaries of the technology will be citizens, who will have the opportunity to receive direct feedback on the composition of their bins in near real time. This means that separation information can be provided quickly, in a modern and fully automated way,” says Ulrich Helfmeier. And Thomas Schmitz, CEO of the ZOELLER GROUP, adds: “AI is only being used very hesitantly in waste management – but the possibilities are enormous and offer huge potential.”

Innovations for the future

The prize is intended to reward technical or organisational-structural innovations in the areas of waste disposal, street and sewer cleaning that help to solve the growing tasks of the industry more efficiently. “The health and safety of people and the conservation of resources are always at the forefront of new developments”, says the VAK e.V., as the industry is driven by ongoing innovative concepts and new technology. The VAK would like to highlight and honour special achievements in this area with the Innovation Award and thus contribute to securing the future. Products and technology are honoured in the categories of vehicle and device as well as assembly, component and control technology.

The winners were presented and chosen at IFAT 2024 in May. This is the second award for SCANTEC this year. At the beginning of May, the SmartScan technology was recognised by the TÜV AUSTRIA Group was the first AI solution in the circular economy in the DACH region to be certified with the TRUSTED AI Application test mark for its functional trustworthiness. This is a milestone in the industry and underlines SCANTEC’s technological leadership in the field of green tech.

You can find out more about SCANTEC solutions here.

The MAGNUM series has a new addition. The offspring combines the best of all families. As robust and powerful as a MAGNUM and a true child of the X-Family at heart – from the hydraulic concept to the electronics. Powerful in the disposal of bulky, industrial and commercial waste. May we introduce? The MAGNUM X1.

Drilling thin boards is easy, as the German saying goes. Breaking thin boards is, contrary to what it seems at first, more difficult. At least when it comes to cabinet back panels, battens and the like in the hydraulic press. Jammed and wedged, they always cause disruptions in the operating process. The MAGNUM X1 puts an end to this. “Thin bulky goods are pre-crushed with longitudinal ribs on the carrier plate. Nothing gets stuck between the carrier plate and the scraper. The risk of the gap between the two getting bigger and bigger over time, of thin bulky goods simply pushing through and damaging internal components in the rear section is also eliminated,” explains Jürgen Kowalke, Head of Sales and Service Germany. The stair-shaped scraper also prevents the load from slipping into the collection tray. In the bulky waste vehicle version, the X1 has a robust crushing edge that ensures virtually splinter-free operation. However, it can also be combined with all lifters in the MEGA series.

Modern design, higher payload

It weighs less than its brother, the MAGNUM XXL. In addition, a 10-degree steeper rear section ensures a higher collection volume – between 18 and 30 cubic metres, depending on the wheelbase – and the loading density can also be increased via convenient fraction preselection on the control terminal. So much for the exterior values. Inside, special premium cylinders do their job, explains Kowalke. “Hollow-bored piston rods, in the bore of which the hydraulic fluid now runs. The advantage: there are significantly fewer hydraulic hoses hanging freely in the loading mechanism. A very tidy rear section interior. In addition, the piston rods have been mechanically raised, thus minimising the risk of damage from the load.” In addition, there is plenty of family connection: all the main features of the X-Family have been adopted. This means: hydraulic concept, control system and mechanical components, which in turn enables a fully circumferential tailgate seal and adjustable claw lock for a tight positive fit. An additional plus: training and instruction for loaders and workshop personnel will be much easier in future. This is because participants can now attend training courses for the X1 and X4 together, for example.

Could it be a little more robust?

“The XXL is good and indestructible, but it’s also very heavy,” says Jürgen Kowalke. This is unfavourable in conjunction with a transfer system. Another advantage of the X1 is therefore its lighter construction. But of course, durability and robustness are also guaranteed in this version. “We test our vehicles in an endurance test. A complete life cycle of the product is mapped or simulated. This gives us the certainty that the product can be safely launched on the market.”

Successful debut

13 May 2024 was the premiere of the MAGNUM X1 at IFAT. Stage fright? Not at all. After all, the ZOELLER engineers and mechatronics technicians, sales, service and management had been fine-tuning every detail of the debutant for around five years. Valuable suggestions also came from ZOELLER customers with their experiences from daily practice. The X-Family was launched in 2016. “The idea for the X1 was born around 2018 and is the logical and consistent continuation of the X-Family concept,” says Sven Walter, Head of Internal Sales. The MAGNUM X1 is the result of a group-wide development with the development expertise at ZOELLER TECH. The X1 certainly received plenty of positive reactions at IFAT 2024: lots of applause, oohs and ahhs from wipers to details and optics to cylinders. But we think: No wonder, with such a well-behaved offspring.

Buying a municipal vehicle is a bit like buying a conventional car: checking out the demonstrator, exploring the optional extras, taking a test drive. But then again, many things are quite different. Björn Meyne, Technical Customer Support at Zöller-Kipper, talks about the differences and similarities.

Come in, get in, drive round – it’s not quite as uncomplicated as in a car dealership. How does the prospective customer get a test drive?

As a rule, the customer, or potential customer, makes an enquiry. The sales department then asks me what we have in the way of demonstrators. There are always three to four vehicles in the yard, X4, X2, one with a crane, one with Epsilon on it and one with hydrogen fuel cell technology. Of course, the vehicles are also sold, but then new ones arrive. Most of the vehicles we have available for demonstrations are standardised. But that doesn’t mean, of course, that we don’t look closely at the customers’ needs. From the tender, we already know pretty much exactly what is needed, whether for the city centre or the countryside, manoeuvrability, payload and so on.
And if our sales department has been on site, they have already seen what the customer drives – the previous models, which containers, which fractions, which routes. We then select the perfect vehicle to match.
One example: New development areas are always densely built-up: The X4 H extension 21.5m³, short wheelbase with Econic is ideal here, you’ve already won in tight areas! With the H variant, of course, you have to pay a little attention to the route because of bridges and other height restrictions.

And then?

Let’s go for a spin. No, seriously: as a rule, this is followed by a week-long test on site with the vehicle of choice or the most suitable vehicle. This is then delivered to the customer – either by a haulage company or I drive it myself. On the Monday after arrival, there is a demonstration with the management, safety officer and drivers, and from Tuesday it’s off on the road. In the morning, I’m usually still behind the wheel, especially with special vehicles, and then the customer’s drivers. I’m still involved, of course, and also drive on the running board with the loaders, from whom we also get questions, suggestions and requests. We then see what we can implement.

What are the top three loader requests?

Popular and often requested are a hand-wash facility, grip heating and – a bottle holder …

And where do you ride?

We drive the normal tours on which the van is to be used. After all, we want to show what it can do. For example, saving labour, saving fuel, making work more comfortable or enabling more effective route planning. To do this, I create a demonstration report: start and end times, hydrogen or fuel consumption, tonnage transported and many more details. The sales department receives this for a personal meeting, i.e. the follow-up, where the vehicle is then customised for the order, so to speak.

But if a vehicle is so convincing during the demonstration that the customer says “I want it”, that’s also clear. It’s really like in a car dealership, where no salesperson would say: “No, you can’t have that car!”

How do you actually become a municipal vehicle demonstrator?

Technical customer service / demonstrations is the official name here … As far as I know, there’s no set path. I responded to a newspaper advert 20 years ago, as a classic career changer. Zwo weeks after the interview the company at the time said: “Welcome!” I then worked in production for a whole year and got to know everything before switching to the driver’s seat.

In 20 years, you really get around. Surely there were some very special experiences?

I once had a mega breathtaking experience at a company in Austria, where I demonstrated a side loader. We drove it up into the mountains to a vineyard that was famous in the area for its snacks. You could just help yourself and take it out of a barrel like this. So we drove up into the mountains with snow chains – it was snowing and then we had to drive down the whole steep mountain again. My heart was really in my mouth, but the driver just laughed.
And the landscape was simply marvellous, the mountain panorama and then our side loader and this steep slope in front of me … I’ll never forget it! I’ve never put on snow chains for a demonstration before. When have you ever done that …

Just the same in green? Not with us. What ZOELLER has recently achieved in terms of sustainability and what else has moved the Group, from the new MINI series to its website.

City of Zurich: Well calculated
Switzerland joins the EU’s Green Deal. The largest fleet of electric waste collection vehicles in the country will soon be on the road in Zurich.

Red card for waste disposal errors
RegioEntsorgung in Eschweiler relies on DeepScan technology – with extremely pleasing results.

The new MINIs are pretty big
One of the highlights at IFAT 2024 was the presentation of the revised MINI series. A successful combination of familiar and new features.

ZOELLER TECH is worth the journey
Postponed for four years and now finally realised: at the Annual General Meeting of the Association of the Verband der Arbeitsgeräte- und Kommunalfahrzeug-Industrie (VAK) in Rekowo Górne, Poland.

Also visually in pole position
Background information on ZOELLER’s new corporate design and what this has to do with solidarity and team spirit within the Group.

Good prospects: Expansion of the portfolio
Interview with ZOELLER CEO Thomas Schmitz on the latest addition to the Group from the Netherlands.

Click here for the digital magazine: K>Mobil Summer Edition 2024

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