Shire Launches its First Range Electric GSE: Tractors for Aviation Ground Support, designed to evolve with future operations.
Image: SHIRE
Shire, the aviation brand born from Belgian engineering firm M-ECS, today announces the launch of its first range of purpose-built electric tractors for baggage and cargo operations. Shire redefines ground support equipment (GSE) for the aviation industry and delivers electric, intelligent, and modular GSE. Purpose-built from day one and designed to evolve with future operations.
From retrofit expertise to purpose-built design
On every airport apron, hundreds of diesel tractors still drive operations — noisy, polluting, and costly to maintain. While retrofitting diesel tractors into electric offers a useful short- and medium-term bridge, these conversions are a necessary compromise: frames and drivetrains designed for combustion do not deliver the efficiency or long-term adaptability of purpose-built electric vehicles.
This reality led M-ECS (Mertens Electrification & Control Systems), a Belgian engineering company with expertise in automation, electrification, IoT, and smart systems, to create Shire in 2022. M-ECS, built its reputation by helping industries innovate and adapt to greener operations — from automating harvesting machines, over designing hybrid industrial robots, to extending the lifespan of many airport GSE through electrification with their bespoke IoT systems.
Toon Mertens, founder of M-ECS, adds: “With Shire, we bring our engineering DNA directly into aviation GSE. Retrofitting remains essential in the short term, but purpose-built electric machines are the real path to long-term efficiency, safety, and resilience.”
Shire range of tractors: purpose-built, electric, and evolving
Shire’s first range focuses on baggage and cargo tractors — a natural starting point, since these vehicles alone account for 25–30% of ground handling emissions at airports. Other GSE families are already under consideration and can be tailored to customer needs.
Shire tractors are electric by nature and smart by design. Operators can equip them with advanced options such as:
- Real-time tracking of energy use, performance, and duty cycles.
- Predictive diagnostics to anticipate failures and minimize downtime.
- Modular upgrades under development to add new functions, such as our in-house developed collision detection and avoidance system.
Current product line
- Shire_TT22e: Electric baggage tractor with lead-acid battery (battery included). Li-ion option 50–70 kWh.
- Shire_TT22e-DC: Double-cabin (5 seats) baggage tractor, 80V 67.2 kWh Li-ion.
- Shire_TT30e: 4-ton cargo tractor, high-voltage 70 kWh Li-ion.
- Shire_TT40e: 6-ton cargo tractor, high-voltage 140 kWh Li-ion.
- Shire can also deliver a range of chargers (portable/static) from low to high power.
Why Shire stands out
- Future-ready – Electric from day one, with no diesel legacy. Green, modular, and autonomous compatible supported by different AI models, Shire tractors are engineered to meet today’s decarbonization targets and evolve with tomorrow’s operations.
- Smarter on cost – Validated comparisons show 25–30% savings versus diesel and 25–35% versus other electric tractors, with 40–70% lower €/kWh battery costs — delivering one of the best TCO performances on the market.
- Resilient – High-capacity liquid-cooled batteries (up to 140 kWh) ensure reliable performance from desert heat to freezing winters, with fast-charging capability in under one hour.
- Trustworthy – Preventive maintenance only every 2,000 operating hours. Remote diagnostics and predictive tools maximise uptime and cut workshop dependency.
- User-friendly – Silent, ergonomic, and safer to operate. Cabins are designed for operator comfort, with collision-avoidance systems in development.
- Agile – Engineered in Europe, manufactured globally for competitiveness. With delivery lead times of just 4–6 months, Shire enables operators to scale electrification quickly, with flexible configurations tailored to diverse needs.
Built on engineering and operational insight
Shire’s strength lies not only in its engineering DNA but also in its deep understanding of aviation ground operations. Innovation comes from M-ECS engineers, experts in electrification, IoT, and modular design, while operational know-how is provided by industry professionals who have worked alongside ground handlers for more than a decade — bringing first-hand knowledge of the constraints, pressures, and realities of a sector that is often undervalued yet vital to aviation.
This unique combination ensures Shire tractors are not just electric or smart — they are engineered for the realities of the ramp. Gerd van Damme, Sales Director at Shire: “Ground handling is a tough environment. If you don’t design equipment with the operator’s economic and practical reality in mind, the solutions will never last,”
About Shire
Founded in 2022, Shire is the aviation brand of M-ECS, a Belgian engineering company specializing in automation, electrification, and smart systems. Shire delivers purpose-built electric GSE designed to be intelligent, modular, and future-ready, starting with its range of baggage and cargo tractors.
www.shire.eu
Media contact
Gerd van Damme, Sales Director
gerd.vandamme@shire.eu
