Views: 2 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2025-10-13 Origin: Site
Shire Launches Purpose-Built Electric Tractors, Redefining Sustainable Aviation Ground Operations
Belgian aviation brand Shire, born from engineering firm M-ECS, today announces its inaugural range of purpose-built electric tractors for baggage and cargo handling. Moving beyond retrofitting, Shire delivers intelligent and modular electric Ground Support Equipment (GSE) designed from the ground up to evolve with the future of aviation.
From Retrofit Expertise to Purpose-Built Innovation
While retrofitting diesel tractors has served as a transitional solution, these conversions are inherently limited. Chassis and drivetrains designed for combustion engines cannot match the efficiency or long-term adaptability of native electric vehicles.
This insight prompted M-ECS—a specialist in automation, electrification, and IoT systems—to establish Shire in 2022. With a background in extending the lifespan of GSE through electrification, the company is now pioneering a definitive solution.
“Retrofitting is essential in the short term, but purpose-built electric machines are the only path to long-term efficiency, safety, and resilience,” says Toon Mertens, founder of M-ECS.
Targeting High-Impact Emissions Reduction
Shire’s first product line focuses on baggage and cargo tractors, which account for 25–30% of ground handling emissions at airports. The tractors are smart by design, offering real-time tracking of energy use and performance, predictive diagnostics to minimize downtime, and modular upgrades such as an in-house developed collision avoidance system.
Current Product Lineup:
Shire_TT22e: Electric baggage tractor with lead-acid battery; Li-ion option (50–70 kWh)
Shire_TT22e-DC: Double-cabin baggage tractor, 80V 67.2 kWh Li-ion
Shire_TT30e: 4-ton cargo tractor, high-voltage 70 kWh Li-ion
Shire_TT40e: 6-ton cargo tractor, high-voltage 140 kWh Li-ion
A range of portable and static chargers is also available
Gerd van Damme, Sales Director at Shire, emphasizes operational pragmatism: “Ground handling is a tough environment. If you don’t design with the operator’s economic and practical reality in mind, the solutions will never last.”
Shire’s launch marks a strategic shift from temporary retrofit solutions to native electric GSE, engineered for durability, intelligence, and a cleaner aviation ecosystem.
