Kaiser Eur-Mark focuses on innovation for sewer cleaning vehicles
Electric passenger cars have become mainstream in recent years, but when it comes to sewer cleaning vehicle electrification, the high energy requirements have been a challenge. The pioneer in this field is Kaiser and its Finnish subsidiary, Kaiser Eur-Mark, that manufacture sewer cleaning vehicles.
In 2022, KAISER launched the AquaStar EV as the world’s first electric sewer cleaning vehicle with water recycling. Today, customers can choose from a wider range of electric vehicles, which means that Kaiser is far ahead of its competitors in electrification.
“Initially, there was some skepticism among customers regarding battery capacity. However, our vehicles can operate a full workday in urban environments without recharging. This has already been proven with several vehicles in daily operation”, says Daniel Laubscher, Chief Technical Officer at Kaiser Group.
In the spring of 2024, Kaiser Eur-Mark presented its first electric vehicle manufactured in Finland – the CityCleaner EV. Built on a two-axle chassis, the vehicle is specifically suited for cold Nordic conditions. It is equipped with both suction and flushing functions and, similar to Kaiser’s other electric vehicles, it can work eight hours straight without recharging. According to Kaiser Eur-Mark’s CEO Tommy Wikman, customers are increasingly seeing the advantages that an electric vehicle can offer as an addition to their existing fleet of diesel trucks.
“The battery capacity depends on how the vehicle is used. Our CityCleaner EV is perfectly suited for inner-city applications, where an electric drive can be a real alternative. Customers are often quite amazed by the vehicles’ performance during demonstrations”, says Wikman.
Both Laubscher and Wikman are convinced that there is great market potential for electric sewer cleaning vehicles. Although the initial cost of the vehicle is higher, lifecycle calculations show that it becomes cost-effective over time due to lower operational and maintenance costs. A traditional sewer cleaning vehicle uses up to 100 litres of diesel per day, so the potential for saving fuel costs is high.
In addition to low emissions, one big advantage of electric sewer cleaning vehicles is the noise reduction they offer, as electric vehicles are very quiet compared to diesel vehicles.
“This is quite a strong argument, especially for customers operating in densely populated areas and during night shifts”, says Laubscher.
Tommy Wikman took over the management of Kaiser Eur-Mark at the end of 2023, and his tasks include further expanding the company’s leading market position in the Nordic region. Kaiser Eur-Mark’s production facilities are located in Nykarleby in Ostrobothnia.
“We are an important employer in the region and offer exciting career opportunities within the group, both locally and internationally. Having strong local roots has always been an important strategic pillar in Kaiser’s development. As a family company, we focus on the advantages of a long-term and consistent orientation with correspondingly strong local investments. Today, Kaiser is the global market leader in the industry for sewer cleaning and industrial disposal vehicles as well as mobile walking excavators, with its own subsidiaries in several European countries, the USA and Australia,” explains Wikman.
Wikman points out that the employees in Nykarleby represent 15 different nationalities, which creates a very international atmosphere.
