Spijkstaal in Autovisie

Rotterdam-based Spijkstaal manufactures industrial tow tractors but is also becoming active in electric urban distribution. And that aligns well with the company's SRV past, believes Deputy Director Geoffrey Jacobs.

Heerenveen, late 1980s. My father drove a Talbot Solara, my mother a Renault 4. Both cars were green, one light, the other dark. We lived in a semi-detached house, within walking distance of the primary school, opposite a forest, a football field, and a nursing home. The nearest supermarket was called Centra but was about to become C1000. 'No frills, that saves money.'

For weekly groceries, my mother took the Renault, but the milk and yogurt came from the SRV man. I no longer remember the sound of his mobile shop's bell, but I do recall that on certain days, a rack of bottles would suddenly appear at our door. They were glass bottles, with those aluminum 'caps' on them. Blue for milk, green for yogurt. The SRV van always rattled as it approached: the sound of empty bottles in crates, stacked on a rack at the back. It was a mobile community center, as inside, not only eggs, cans of soup, and gelatin sheets were sold, but also the latest street gossip. My brother and I were completely oblivious to these rumors. Every week, we yearned for only one thing: the two soft banana marshmallows that the SRV man secretly gave us.

Geoffrey Jacobs laughs at the memories. 'It's nostalgia,' he admits. 'Many people know it, but I think it somewhat stops with my generation, those in their forties.' He gestures to our photographer, who has just passed twenty. 'Your generation probably doesn't say it much anymore, right?' Noël nods eagerly: 'I do know the SRV van, though.' He lives in the far south of the country, where mobile shops are still active even today.

Due to the rise of supermarkets and the decline of the traditional housewife, their numbers have drastically fallen over the decades, from around two thousand in 1970 to fewer than a hundred today. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a brief resurgence in their popularity, particularly in the village centers of Groningen, Friesland, North Brabant, and Limburg, but it will likely not be long before supermarket apps and rapid delivery services deliver the final blow to the concept. “Spijkstaal sold its SRV factory long ago to Rengocar in Sint-Oedenrode, which still maintains these mobile shops,” Jacobs explains. “Those vehicles are virtually indestructible. That's fantastic for anyone buying an old Spijkstaal, but for us as a manufacturer at the time, it was less ideal because we wanted to produce in volume. However, we were committed to that durability, as our name is Spijkstaal, not Spijkplastic.”

The company, which went bankrupt in 2015 and was acquired by forklift rental company Peinemann, now primarily supplies electric tow tractors to the industry. Jacobs lists them: “We sell them to the military, flower auctions, airports, hospitals, KLM, but also to Daf, Scania, Lamborghini, Mercedes, Porsche, Suzuki, Volkswagen, and Volvo. You were at Audi in Hungary last week? Our tractors are also in operation there at the factory.” Jacobs points to a compact three-wheeler in the assembly hall. “This one can tow eight tons. It has a 10 kW electric motor in the back and is equipped with a lead-acid battery. Why not lithium-ion? Because we need the weight on the rear axle for traction. A lead-acid battery is four times heavier than a lithium-ion battery. Furthermore, charging speed is not as critical. With this Spijkstaal 308, you can remove a depleted battery and insert a fully charged one in just one minute.”

Jacobs places his hand on the black ‘roll bar’ of the tractor. “This particular unit is for Moët & Chandon. Champagne carts will be attached behind it. It sits a bit higher on its wheels and is equipped with off-road tires; otherwise, it wouldn't be able to pull the bottles up from the cellars. It's very wet and slippery down there. We install this bar for safety, so the driver doesn't get all the bottles on their neck if something happens.” Moët & Chandon has ninety Spijkstaal tractors and will soon receive fifty more. “These are relatively small numbers,” Jacobs reports. “You have to understand it this way: for every hundred forklifts an industrial client uses, they have two tow tractors. For example, at the Porsche factory, there are only twenty in operation. They need to be simple and reliable because they are used day in and day out. Such a vehicle easily lasts thirty years.” Jacobs laughs. “That's not a good business model, no. That's why we appreciate that more and more customers are asking: ‘Can we lease these tractors from you?’ Then we take them back after five years and provide them with new ones. This way, production can continue. We refurbish the used units and lease or sell them, sometimes to countries like Cuba or Ivory Coast, where they begin a second life.”

Jacobs notices our attention drawn to a large, dark grey behemoth, reminiscent of a military vehicle. “We won a tender with this,” he grins. “This electric vehicle is for the Dutch army and can push and pull Leopard tanks. We will build thirteen of them. The machine is based on our aircraft tugs but is twice as long and much heavier: about 20,000 kilograms, again for traction. It features four-wheel steering and a cabin that can be raised by one and a half meters, because when you're pushing a tank with this, you need to be able to see over it. The seats and dashboard can be rotated 180 degrees. Look, you press this button and then turn the steering wheel. Additionally, there's a 100-kilogram tow bar, which can be placed on the rear deck with this crane. Currently, the army still uses four men for this task. Someone once lost a toe.”

In electric urban distribution, an area where Spijkstaal is also active, not only is competition fierce, but opportunities are also significant, according to Jacobs. As of January 1st, the BPM exemption for commercial vehicles with internal combustion engines will expire, and fourteen municipalities will introduce a zero-emission zone. These zones are not entirely zero-emission, as Euro 5 vans built before 2025 will remain welcome in city centers for the next two years. From 2028, the problem will become more serious for businesses, believes Roy Driessen of leasing company Ayvens, who joined our discussion at Spijkstaal's invitation. The former LeasePlan collaborates with the manufacturer and has included the new Iona XS in its lease offerings. Is there a rush? “There is still a hesitant response to light electric commercial vehicles,” Driessen admits. He attributes this partly to the market not yet being mature, with new providers emerging rapidly, not all of whom have their after-sales in order. Nevertheless, the commercial vehicle segment is on the verge of a major shift. “This year, we are seeing a huge rush on diesel vans. In December, we will likely hit 100,000 registrations, whereas over 60,000 is normal.” After this peak, a decline is expected in 2025, with a much larger share of electric vehicles. “We are entering a situation where the purchase price of an electric van is equal to that of a comparable diesel model, and the total cost of ownership is even lower. In three years, many entrepreneurs will be compelled to switch, as the number of municipalities with a zero-emission zone will grow from fourteen to twenty-eight. In cities, increasing attention is being paid to public space and air quality. Last-mile delivery will become even more important than it is now, with hubs on the outskirts of the city where goods are brought for distribution with light electric vehicles.”

Spijkstaal hopes to profit from this, partly with the Iona XS. The L7E vehicle has a limited top speed of 75 km/h, achieves a maximum range of 200 kilometers, and is built in China by motorcycle manufacturer Jonway. “An Iona is shipped like an Ikea flat-pack,” says Jacobs. “We assemble the vehicle here. That takes about a day.” He likes to draw a link between the SRV van and the Iona XS because both represent a form of electric urban distribution, but entrepreneurs primarily focus on costs: what’s in it for me? “A bit of history certainly helps,” Jacobs counters, “especially with supermarket chain Plus, to which Spijkstaal has supplied several Ionas. ‘Spijkstaal back on the streets,’ they say themselves.” However, the connection to the SRV van still bothers Jacobs a little. “When you mention the name Spijkstaal, people immediately think of the past, when we were visible on almost every street. That needs to change. We are a modern company that makes modern products. Our history has given us great brand recognition. But now we need to link that to our current vehicles. That is my goal.”