From Paper to Product: Engineering a 27,000 kg Fully Electric Mobile Railcar Mover in 6 Months

In this paper, the authors present the challenges & opportunities behind the engineering of a fully-electric mobile railcar mover. We present how building the right toolbox of simulation software, proper analysis and understanding of the duty cycle and usage of unconventional vehicles allows us to tap into their electrification potential. The authors showcase a step-by-step approach, from paper to product, simulation to assembly, of the challenges, opportunities, economic and environmental advantages of electrification. Finding the proper candidate for electrification is key – and we’ll show how we did it all in just 6 months. The end result is a fully electric railcar mover which outperforms its diesel counterpart in many aspects.