18 June 2026

Custom Electric Tugs: Tailored Solutions for Unusual Loads

Plenty of businesses share the same problem. They have something heavy that needs moving, often repeatedly, but the load is awkward enough that no standard tug or trolley quite works. Maybe the wheels need to run on rails. Maybe a 2,500 kg load needs bringing up from underground storage. Maybe the working area is ATEX-rated, where spark risk has to be carefully managed.

That is where custom electric tugs come in.

What is a custom electric tug?

A custom electric tug is a powered load mover built or modified for a specific job. The base machine handles the propulsion side, including the battery, motor, controls and brakes. Bespoke attachments handle the part that interacts with your load. The result is a single piece of kit that takes a job a standard mover cannot manage and turns it into a routine task.

The point is not novelty, it is reliability. A custom build can replace awkward workarounds, such as manual pushing, forklifts squeezed into tight spaces, or hired plant for a job that only comes around once a month. Instead, you get one machine that fits your workflow.

When standard tugs don’t fit

A standard electric tug is excellent at what it does, which is moving wheeled loads on a reasonable floor surface. Custom solutions become worth considering when:

• The load runs on rails rather than wheels.
• You need to move kit in an ATEX environment such as chemical plants, mills, paint shops or other areas where flammable atmospheres are a concern.
• The application is airport ground handling, where passenger staircases and equipment need a drive unit that can be demounted.
• The load is unusually heavy, such as specialist nuclear or defence-sector handling applications in the 2,500 to 3,000 kg range.
• You need on-board services such as an air supply for inflatable load-moving systems.
• The operator needs radio control, often for safety reasons, with the load between them and a fixed control position.

These may sound specialist, but they are real handling challenges in rail depots, defence sites, container loading bays and large factories with cable drums or paper reels.

Why the attachment matters

With custom electric tugs, the attachment is often what turns a good idea into a usable solution.

The tug provides the power and control, but the attachment determines how that force is applied to the load. It needs to connect securely, work at the right height, avoid damaging the load, and give the operator enough control to move safely.

That is why custom projects are rarely just about choosing a bigger machine. The best solution usually comes from matching the tug, attachment and working method to the job.

The design process

The strongest custom builds come out of a design conversation, not a catalogue. At Power Pusher, the process tends to follow the same pattern:

1. You share the problem. Photos, technical drawings or a short video of the current method all help.
2. A dedicated Design Engineer scopes the load, the surface, any gradient and the working environment.
3. Components from existing Power Pusher models are reused wherever possible.
4. The bespoke parts, such as the frame, attachment, electronics or safety package, are designed, manufactured and tested.
5. The finished machine is supported through its full life cycle with parts, service and training.

That last point matters more than it sounds. A custom machine built entirely from one-off parts can become a liability five years in. A custom build that shares major components with a production range is something you can keep running for decades.

Examples from the field

The examples below show how broad our custom electric tug designs can be. Each machine was built around a specific handling challenge, whether that meant working on rails, adding remote control, supplying onboard air, or creating a demountable drive unit. Different industries, different loads, same underlying idea: take a proven propulsion platform and adapt it to the job.

4WD electric mover with wheel guards and a custom arm attachment for rail bogies.
Radio-controlled, it moves metro cars safely around a transport depot.

Demountable staircase drive unit for airport ground handling (GSE).
A traction drive that moves passenger staircases into position, then unclips and is removed once the staircase is parked.

Super Power Pusher with built-in compressor and reservoir.
The onboard compressor delivers a 30 psi supply through a male attachment, feeding the Joloda One Shot system used to load containers.

Rail-mounted ammunition hauler.
It raises a 2,500 kg cart from underground storage, operated from a towed seat or remotely by radio frequency control.

Custom rail transfer cart for a nuclear company.
Built on the Power Trolley platform, it moves 3,000 kg loads along rails.

None of these began as a standard off the shelf product. Each one started with a customer’s problem and became a machine built around it. That is where every custom project here starts, with a specific load that needs moving.