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the fairport

Electric mobility

The fleet of electric vehicles on the apron is growing.

Stuttgart Airport saves around 1 million litres of diesel every year. This is made possible by the increasing number of electric vehicles that are replacing diesel vehicles on the apron. They significantly reduce local emissions, which has a positive impact on the environment and improves the working environment for employees. Electric vehicles are quiet and do not emit exhaust gases.

Airfield transport, but electric

As early as 1991, Stuttgart Airport introduced its first hybrid baggage tractor – marking the start of a gradual transition to electric mobility.

Since then, our guiding principle has been: whenever economic efficiency, environmental sustainability and operational safety go hand in hand, we opt for electric. Through various research projects, we have tested electric ground handling equipment for its practical suitability. The results have shown us that, whilst it may sometimes be a matter of time, in principle all ground handling vehicles on the apron can be electrified.

Key milestones achieved

Since 2018, all passenger and baggage transport at Stuttgart Airport has been battery-powered and emission-free. The commissioning of the world’s first electric refuelling lorry in the 40 m³ class by refuelling service provider Skytanking marked another milestone in 2024. Thanks to targeted investments in electric mobility and stationary ground power, CO₂ emissions from the apron fleet have already been reduced by around 75 per cent between 2013 and today. Furthermore, the airport uses so-called HVO diesel in its vehicles that have not yet been electrified, which further reduces emissions.

The next target is clear: by 2030, Stuttgart Airport aims to carry out all ground handling activities at the aircraft – from landing to take-off – in such a way that no_{CO₂ emissions} or exhaust fumes are produced on site. This target encompasses the operations of Flughafen Stuttgart GmbH and its subsidiary, Stuttgart Airport Ground Handling GmbH. To achieve this, all vehicles and equipment regularly used for ground handling operations there must become electric.

Extensive network of electric vehicle charging points at the airport

A significant proportion of Stuttgart Airport’s carbon footprint is caused by journeys to and from the airport by car. That is why we are taking action here too: with a steadily expanding network of electric charging points in our car parks, we are creating incentives for people to travel to the airport in electric vehicles.

Award for fully electric turnaround

In 2026, we were presented with the ACI Eco-Innovation Award in recognition of our progress in the electrification of apron operations. The award was presented to us by the industry association ACI Europe, which represents over 600 airports. The award recognises STR’s holistic approach to implementing the fully electric turnaround.

Projects already completed

Ground-based power supply via e-GPUs and stationary systems

By 2030, the entire apron fleet at Stuttgart Airport is set to be emission-free. A key component of this is the provision of fixed ground power to aircraft at remote stands.

Wherever it was structurally and economically feasible, the apron was fitted with permanently installed ground power systems by mid-2026. Where this could not be implemented, mobile, battery-powered E-GPUs (Electric Ground Power Units) are being used. Two of these electric units have been in operation since the end of 2024, with a further six following in 2025.

Even before the project began, 38 parking positions on the north side were equipped with fixed systems. Compared with the previous diesel GPUs, the new systems – that is, E-GPUs and stationary units – improve energy efficiency by around 80 per cent. They offer clear advantages: they are durable, quiet and produce no on-site emissions. This also ensures better working conditions on the apron.

Project period: 2025–2026

As part of a two-year project, we have fitted the remaining parking bays on the south side – including Cargo City – with fixed ground-based power supply systems.

The project is funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) under the ‘Ground Power Guidelines’ – with a total of 2.4 million euros.

Objectives:

Installation of a fixed power supply system with 400 Hz units on the southern apron
Procurement and commissioning of 6 e-GPUs

Funding scheme:

Funded by:

Federal Ministry
for Digital Affairs
and Transport

pursuant to a resolution of the German Bundestag

Funded by:

NOW GmbH
National Organisation
Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology

NOW! website

Press release dated 26 September 2024

Clean ground power for the air cargo apron

Press release dated 26 September 2024

finalize! – The first fully electric refuelling lorry, further electric apron vehicles and the first battery storage systems

Stuttgart Airport is continuing to drive forward the transition of its apron fleet: following the conversion of all passenger coaches, baggage tugs and many handling vehicles to electric power, the next step was the electrification of the refuelling fleet and other heavy commercial vehicles.

The ‘finalize! ’ project is part of the STRzerocarbon strategy and marks the final major step towards achieving zero-emission apron traffic by 2030. By then, no vehicles powered by diesel or petrol are to form part of the airport’s regular ground handling fleet.

As with the conversion of the passenger coaches, the airport was breaking new ground here – together with its partners Skytanking and the Institute for Power Electronics and Electric Drives (ISEA) at RWTH Aachen University. A fully electric refuelling lorry weighing around 52 tonnes presents particular challenges. Innovative solutions were therefore at the heart of this research and development project.

The finalize! project is another important step towards a fully electric ground handling fleet at Stuttgart Airport. By 2022, 39 per cent of the apron fleet was already electric. By 2026, a total of 45 commercial vehicles had been integrated into the electric fleet as part of the project.

The airport is thus taking on a pioneering role – not only for other airports, but also for refuelling service providers and logistics companies.

Funding: ‘
’ The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action supported the project with around 2.8 million euros. The total cost of the joint project amounts to around 5.9 million euros.

Project period:

1 January 2023 to 31 December 2025

Objectives:

Electrification of the largest remaining diesel-powered vehicles at the airport
Increasing the technological maturity of heavy-duty commercial vehicles specific to airports
Analysis of total cost of ownership and environmental impacts over the life cycle
Research into and introduction of smart charging management
Improving air quality – for better health and safety on the apron
Serving as a model in live operation – for the national and international network

Press release dated 1 March 2024 Press release dated 10 April 2025

Funding scheme:

Funded by:

Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs
and Climate Action

pursuant to a resolution of the German Bundestag

scale-up! – The electric fleet is growing

The core of the‘scale-up! ’ project was the expansion of the existing electric fleet: 40 further electric vehicles were added within three years.

A milestone on the way to achieving this: since 2018, all passenger coaches and baggage trolleys have been fully electric – transporting guests and luggage locally between the terminal and the aircraft with zero emissions.

Electric vehicles in practical use

Our experience shows that electric vehicles are ideal for apron operations. The short distances – around 60 kilometres a day for a passenger coach – mean that range is not an issue. Charging times can be easily integrated into shift work, for example at night or during breaks.

Project period:

1 September 2016 to 31 August 2019

Objectives:

Commissioning of 40 additional electric vehicles
Expansion of the charging infrastructure
Data collection on technological maturity, usage, economic viability and environmental impact
Comprehensive life-cycle assessment of the vehicles
Analysis of the impact on the energy supply
Development of a roadmap for the further expansion of electric mobility

scale-up! built on the efleet project – with the aim of gaining practical insights that can also be applied by other airports worldwide.

Project partners:

Li-Fleet – Batteries put to the test

As part of the Li-Fleet project, a luggage trolley powered by a lithium-ion battery was integrated into day-to-day handling operations at Stuttgart Airport for the first time. The aim was to compare the lead-acid batteries used to date with the new energy storage system – particularly in terms of service life, charging behaviour and practical suitability.

In addition to the practical trial, the project produced a guide designed to help other companies make the switch to electric vehicles. The insights gained are intended to serve as a model for other organisations.

Project period:

15 December 2015 to 30 June 2017

Objectives:

Preparing for the structural transition to battery-powered specialised vehicles
Development and implementation of a guide for the transition to electric vehicles and new battery technologies

Project partners:

Funding scheme:

Decarbonised passenger transport at European airports – a focus on electric buses

At Stuttgart Airport, passengers are usually transported by bus between the terminal and the aircraft. The ‘Decarbonised Passenger Transport at European Airports’ project investigated whether this transport could be made fully electric.

To this end, six eCobus3000 buses were put into service – supported by the roll-out of a fast-charging infrastructure funded by the EU. The result: electric passenger transport operates smoothly and offers clear advantages.

Project period:

1 October 2014 to 31 December 2016

Objectives:

To assess the availability of electric passenger buses and charging infrastructure
Analysis of total operating costs
Assessment of energy efficiency and CO₂ reduction potential
Demonstrating the transferability of the findings to other European airports

Results:

No operational restrictions on passenger transport
Improvement in energy efficiency of up to 70 per cent compared with diesel buses
Availability comparable to that of diesel buses
High level of acceptance amongst drivers
Good transferability of the results from Stuttgart to other EU airports

Funding scheme:

efleet – The start of electrification

With efleet, Stuttgart Airport, together with its project partners, launched a pilot project as part of the German Government’s ‘Electric Mobility Showcase Programme’. To test the propulsion technology in ground handling operations, the airport procured six electric vehicles and an equal number of charging points. The vehicles deployed included pushbacks (vehicles for towing aircraft), conveyor belts, baggage and cargo tugs, and passenger buses. The aim was to determine the economic and environmental impacts – such as the vehicles’ life-cycle costs – through practical use.

During the three-year fleet project, the battery-powered vehicles towed around 12,000 aircraft, transported approximately 1.5 million items of luggage and carried over 300,000 passengers. The results of the electric mobility showcase at Stuttgart Airport made it clear that airports are ideally suited to the use of battery-electric vehicles.

Project period:

1 March 2013 to 29 February 2016

Objectives:

Establishment of suitable charging infrastructure
Collection of technical data during handling operations
Determining the total cost of ownership and environmental impact of the vehicles compared with their respective diesel equivalents

Results:

Suitability of the vehicles for two-shift operation
Improvement in energy efficiency of 50 to 80 per cent compared with diesel engines
Availability comparable to, or in some cases better than, that of diesel vehicles
High level of acceptance amongst drivers
Significant noise reduction in ground handling
Airports are particularly well suited to the use of electric vehicles due to short travel distances and shift work

Conclusion:
The efleet project has shown that electric mobility is well suited to airport operations.

Project partners:

Funding scheme:

Points of contact for e-mobility on the apron

Martin Hofmann

Project manager airside e-mobility, Stuttgart Airport

efleet@stuttgart-airport.com

Theresa Diehl

Head of Sustainability Communications, Stuttgart Airport

Public charging network – travelling to Stuttgart Airport by electric car

In 2017, the expansion of the public charging infrastructure at Stuttgart Airport was funded by the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure. As part of the programme, 33 new charging points were installed – including 7 modern fast-charging stations.

These allow charging at up to 150 kilowatts – ideal for the latest-generation vehicles, which can recharge during even a short stop. The electricity for the charging stations is covered, in accounting terms, by guarantees of origin from renewable energy sources.

Good to know: Aswe are expanding the charging network in line with demand, passengers will always have access to a free charging point.

Funding scheme:

STRzero Truck Charger – the first charging stations for electric lorries

In the STRzero Truck Charger project, Stuttgart Airport has installed charging stations for electric trucks for the first time. The four charging points offer up to 400 kilowatts for high-power charging and 150 kilowatts for fast charging. They are located on the south side of the airport grounds and are available to local freight forwarders and freight service providers.

As a fairport, Stuttgart Airport is committed to making ground logistics as environmentally friendly as possible. The new charging stations support this approach by promoting sustainable and clean freight transport at the airport.

The expansion of the charging infrastructure during the STRzero Truck Charger project was funded by the "Electric Mobility Funding Guidelines" of the Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport (BMDV). NOW GmbH is responsible for coordination, and the project is being implemented by the project executing organisation Jülich (PtJ).

Funding scheme:

With the STRzero Truck Charger project, Stuttgart Airport has established its first charging infrastructure for electric lorries. There are four charging points available on the south side of the airport site – offering up to 400 kilowatts of charging power for high-power charging and 150 kilowatts for fast charging.

The service is aimed at lorries operated by haulage contractors and freight service providers at the airport. The lorry charging points are helping to drive the transformation of freight transport.

The project was funded under the “Electric Mobility Funding Guidelines” of the Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport (BMDV). Coordination is handled by NOW GmbH, whilst implementation is carried out by Projektträger Jülich (PtJ).