EDWARDSVILLE 鈥 There鈥檚 not yet ice that beckons to skaters, but Edwardsville鈥檚 gleaming new public rink already has a freshly made Zamboni for the job.
Zamboni builds each machine by hand and numbers them sequentially. Edwardsville鈥檚 is No. 13,310.
But unlike most, this one is fully electric.
The new set of wheels is another example 鈥 this one famously box-shaped, slow-moving and weighing 8,900 pounds when loaded with water 鈥 that the electric revolution is not confined to lawnmowers, tools and roadways. It now extends to trucks, forklifts and a growing number of ice rinks as well.
鈥淲e鈥檝e definitely seen a rise in it,鈥 said Paula Coony, a brand manager for Zamboni, on the company鈥檚 electric models. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just taken off.鈥
Edwardsville officials said the electric Zamboni was the right choice for the soon-to-open R.P. Lumber Center: The electric engine has no emissions, so it won鈥檛 affect runners and walkers on the indoor track above the rink. And while it comes with a higher initial price, it is expected to have far lower costs over its lifetime compared with one with an internal-combustion engine.
People are also reading…
鈥淭here鈥檚 very low maintenance on them, if any at all,鈥 said Phil Zamora, superintendent of the new Edwardsville facility, set to open in early June.
Zamboni, the California-based company that dominates the industry, invented the 鈥渋ce resurfacing machine鈥 in 1949 and, like Kleenex, Band-Aid and Jell-O, has become synonymous with the product itself, despite the company鈥檚 protests. (Zamboni said in a trademark letter that its name should never be used as a noun 鈥 insisting 鈥渢he machine is not 鈥榓 Zamboni,鈥 it is a Zamboni ice resurfacing machine.鈥)
Still, the name has long since conquered colloquial speech. Even radio broadcasts of 最新杏吧原创 Blues games conclude with the catchphrase, 鈥淏ring out the Zamboni!鈥
The first electric Zamboni prototypes emerged in 1960, for use at that year鈥檚 Winter Olympics at Lake Tahoe, California. Later, a 1970s version also used an electric battery, said Coony, before the first 鈥渞eliable, industry-accepted鈥 electric Zamboni debuted in 1990 and saw some widespread adoption.
But the debuts of rapid-charging and lithium-ion batteries in recent years has helped make the electric machines more popular.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been kind of a game-changer,鈥 said Coony.
And with the recent rise in fuel prices, she added, 鈥渢he electric people are all kind of sitting back and smiling right now.鈥
Edwardsville expects to get eight to nine 鈥渃uts鈥 per charge, said Zamora, the ice chief, which should cover a typical day of use at the new rink, allowing them to charge the machines overnight.
鈥淭hey鈥檝e made quite the leap in terms of quality of battery,鈥 he said.
More of the NHL鈥檚 32 teams are going electric, now, too.
While the Montreal Canadiens have had an electric Zamboni for years, the expansion Seattle Kraken, new to the league this season, went 鈥渁ll in鈥 on the technology, Coony said, ordering five electric Zambonis, including for the team鈥檚 practice facilities. The company expects electric Zamboni adoption to pick up as updated orders come in.
鈥淚t鈥檚 almost a no-brainer,鈥 Coony said.
Competitor Resurfice Corp., the Canadian company that owns the Olympia brand of resurfacers and supplies the 最新杏吧原创 Blues, sells three electric and two fossil-fueled models, and is seeing electric sales accelerate, too.
鈥淚 would say we鈥檙e probably getting close to 50-50,鈥 said general manager Steve Kovacevic, and 鈥済rowing considerably every day.鈥
Resurfice did research a few years ago comparing energy costs for both types of models and found that propane-powered machines cost customers about $30 per day, compared to $8 per day for electric.
Still, that鈥檚 not the primary factor influencing electric sales, Kovacevic said.
鈥淭hey want to lower their greenhouse gas emissions,鈥 he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the big driver.鈥
The company counts six NHL squads among its clients and says the New York Islanders got an electric machine when they moved into a new arena this season. Many such buildings, Kovacevic said, have carbon-reduction goals, as does the league.
鈥淭he battery-powered machines,鈥 Kovacevic said, 鈥渨ill definitely take over the NHL.鈥
At typical speeds of 4 to 5 mph, each.
In today鈥檚 10 a.m. video, columnist Ben Hochman discusses Vladimir Tarasenko, Jordan Binnington and other keys to tonight鈥檚 Game 5 in St. Paul, Minn. And, as always, Hochman picks a random 最新杏吧原创 Cards card. Ten Hochman is presented by !
