Zug, the city in the heart of Switzerland, has 32,000 inhabitants and is both a regional centre and a global economic hub. Among other things, the depot and its 60 employees ensure that the city's streets are clean and safe - from the old town by the lake to the Zugerberg, high above the city centre.
A bold but well-considered decision
The replacement of sweepers is an important investment and has a major impact on the depot and its employees. Such a decision requires courage and a solid foundation. Urs Hubatka and his team therefore took a lot of time to select the new machines. "We put the replacement procurement out to public tender and organised a large-scale evaluation. We invited the providers to test days and tested the machines on identical test tracks in Zug and set them various tasks." The choice fell on two electric eSwingo 200+ and a diesel machine of the same type. It was important for Urs Hubatka to involve the entire team in the decision. After all, "the workplace is important for the employees, not what the boss buys," says the depot manager.
A changeover that is not easy for everyone
A complete changeover of the fleet is a major challenge for the sweeper drivers. Familiar processes and key points on the routes have to be practised again with the new machine. Many things don't work straight away, some things work better than before and most things are even more difficult in the first few days than before. To make the transition as smooth as possible, instructors from Aebi Schmidt Switzerland accompanied and instructed the drivers on their first tours. "It is important to us to continue to support customers closely after the purchase and to help them integrate the machines into their everyday lives," says Angelo Mattioli, Sales Manager Municipal at Aebi Schmidt Switzerland.
Urs Hubatka notes after the last day of training: "It is often the case that something new makes us anxious or we are sceptical about new products. That was also the case with us. But I think we all realised that we've got a great product and we're all happy with it.
Watch our video to find out what the decisive criteria were for choosing the eSwingo 200+ - and how the machines are proving themselves on the streets of Zug.