Schiphol helps to set new world record with electric cars
This weekend Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and 745 other electric cars in Helmond set the world record for the 'longest electric autocade'. The participating Schiphol car is just one of many electric vehicles in the airport's fleet. In fact, Schiphol is one of the world's leading airports when it comes to electric driving. No other airport anywhere boasts as many electrically powered vehicles.
Increasingly electric
There are quite a few kinds of vehicles driving around Schiphol – from large snow ploughs and fire engines to baggage tractors, buses and passenger cars. More and more, the conventional petrol and diesel variants are being traded in for electric models. Though electrically powered options are not available in all vehicle categories yet, where they are, Schiphol is using them.
Cars, buses and baggage tractors
Electric vehicles can be found all over the airport grounds. When there's no spot for your aircraft at the gate and it has to park on the apron, you'll be brought to the gate or plane by an electric bus. Schiphol has 37 in total. Chances are that your suitcase will be conveyed from the baggage basement to the aircraft by an electric baggage tractor, certainly if you're flying with KLM. As from this autumn, Schiphol will have a unique parking area for these vehicles, called the Solar Car Park. You'll be able to see it from a vantage point at the top of Pier E. The roof will be completely clad with solar panels and the energy they generate will be used to charge the baggage tractors at night.
From cargo to taxi
You may have seen them at some point in your travels: the platforms that can be raised and lowered to load cargo into an aircraft. More and more of these are electrically powered. And have you ever taken a taxi home from Schiphol? Provided you grab a cab from our official taxi stand at Schiphol Plaza, they're electric too. There are now 167 Tesla taxis driving at Schiphol, all CO2-neutral, quiet and comfortable.
A simple reason
Driving electric is not cheap, so why do we do it? The reason is quite simple: because it's better for air quality and therefore for the health of travellers and people who work at the airport. It's also better for the planet, because electricity generates a lot less carbon emissions than ordinary fuel, which in turn helps to combat climate change. Schiphol is happy to be doing its part to help, and we want to show how it can be done. After all, we want to set an example for others to follow!