Swiss pioneering work in municipal vehicle construction

With the MEKG - Multifunctional Electric Compact Ground Vehicle project, a fully electric municipal vehicle in the 8-tonne class was developed, built and successfully tested in everyday use for the first time. The project was realised by SUNCAR AG in close cooperation with Viktor Meili AG and the Rusterholz Group, supported by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) as part of its program for market testing of innovative vehicles and machines.

From partial electrification to fully electric implement carrier

The technical feasibility of electrifying light municipal vehicles has already been successfully demonstrated in earlier pilot projects and small series. Building on this experience and thanks to continuous progress in energy storage and drive technology, the next logical step was to develop a fully electric vehicle in the 8-tonne class.
Based on the Meili VM 7000, the MEKG was designed as a new internal platform for all-electric municipal vehicles and implement carriers. The focus was on a comprehensive increase in efficiency to maximise operating time in order to enable the most uninterrupted working day possible.

Focus on technical innovations and software integration

Software integration was a key challenge: the coordination between vehicle software, drive motor control in all operating modes and the design of new electrical interfaces for the attachments required targeted development work.
The former hydrostatic drive was replaced by an electric direct drive. A specially developed gearbox was manufactured and integrated for this purpose. The previously hydraulically driven attachments - such as snow ploughs or mowers - were also fully electrified and equipped with suitable interfaces.

Two vehicle variants in practical use

Two vehicle variants were developed and finalised together with Meili and Rusterholz. Both are currently undergoing a comprehensive test phase to collect operating data.

1. Standard version for municipal applications
The standard version is based on the basic URS.e equipment from Meili with a battery capacity of 120 kWh. A bridge enables flexible use in municipal operations. One or two electrical interfaces allow the operation of a wide range of attachments, including

• Water tank with pump
• Watering system or watering arm
• Slope mower
• Snow plough or snow blower
• Crane

A CCS fast-charging interface ensures short charging times and all-day usability - even for intensive tasks.
Following successful tests of the demo vehicle, the standard version has already been set up several times and has proven itself in daily operation. All tested applications, such as snow ploughs, salt spreaders, sweeping beams, embankment mowers and transport runs, can be carried out over long periods without any problems. Only continuous intensive use with a snow blower remains challenging due to the high energy requirement, but can be managed with targeted quick charging breaks.

2. Special version: Fire brigade first-response vehicle (EEF)
The second variant is a specially developed first-response vehicle (EEF) for fire brigades. This is also based on the URS.e, but has been optimised for rapid deployment and robust scenarios:
- 60 km/h top speed
- 1500 litre extinguishing water tank
- Two electric extinguishing pumps
- Six-man cab, roof ladder and other emergency equipment
The vehicle was put into operation by Gebäudeversicherung Kanton Zürich (GVZ) in Andelfingen in mid-2023. Thanks to its quiet driving style, it is also ideal for training and practice operations.

Results and outlook
The feedback from the pilot phase has been consistently positive: the MEKG impresses with its reliability, suitability for everyday use and cost-effectiveness. The system efficiency is up to eight times higher compared to conventional diesel vehicles, while CO₂ emissions can be reduced by up to 87% depending on the electricity mix.
The project clearly shows that the time is ripe for fully electric municipal vehicles, even in higher weight classes. Other special superstructures - for example for waste disposal - are already being realised.

More about the municipal vehicles