Mototok Spacer 8600 NG Electric Towbarless Pushback Tug

The Spacer 8600 NG is Mototok's flagship pushback tug: a fully electric, towbarless platform that cradles the nose gear of aircraft up to 105 tonnes and is driven entirely by one operator walking alongside with a TUV-certified radio remote. There is no driver's cabin, no towbar shear-pin inventory and no diesel - the machine loads and secures a double-nosewheel aircraft hands-free in around 15 seconds at a tap on the remote, then pushes back at up to 5.4 km/h with AC microprocessor-controlled electric motors.

Capacity covers the entire narrowbody spectrum operated across the Gulf - A320 family including neo, B737 including MAX, A220, E-Jets and CRJs - and Mototok holds manufacturer NTO declarations of conformity for the B737 incl. MAX, A320 family incl. neo, A220 and MHI/Bombardier CRJ. At 702 mm high with 73 mm ground clearance, the unit slides under the fuselage where conventional tractors cannot, and its intelligent nose-gear protection system (i-NPS) with electronic torque control guards against oversteering damage.

Energy comes from 4 x 330-400 Ah maintenance-free deep-cycle gel/AGM batteries at 96 V, good for 3-4 days of typical duty or up to 30 pushback operations per charge; a full recharge takes about 3 hours via the onboard charger, which stows inside the vehicle with an automatic cable drum and universal CEE plug so it can top up from any industrial socket - no fixed charging infrastructure required. Cloud connectivity provides remote diagnostics and over-the-air support from Krefeld.

The reference installation is British Airways at London Heathrow Terminal 5, where 28 Mototok machines handle pushback and BA reports delay reductions of up to 70%; Iberia runs 30 machines across Madrid Barajas and Barcelona El Prat, and dnata operates the system at JFK. For GCC airports and ground handlers electrifying GSE fleets under net-zero programmes, it replaces a diesel tractor, a towbar set and a two-to-three-person crew with a single silent machine.