An iconic trailer maker has said it is “driving into the electric vehicle era” with a new generation of lighter and stronger trailers.
Clwyd South MS and Welsh Government Transport Minister Ken Skates visited Ifor Williams Trailers to mark the UK launch of the new Tow-Max range.
Originally rolled out in Scandinavia, it offers lightweight flatbed trailers that can carry high payloads even for vehicles with limited towing capacity. This includes electric cars that often struggle with traditional 3.5 tonne gross trailers as demand surges across Europe where uptake is far higher.
The company has five manufacturing sites in Denbighshire and Deeside.
The phased launch began in Norway where up to 95 per cent of new cars are now electric, quickly followed by Denmark, Belgium, Poland and France. Now it is also being sold in the UK and Ireland and the range will also be available worldwide.
Heavy trailers can severely cut the range of pure electric cars and pickups and this can lead to issues with range and recharging, particularly for country dwellers who move around by night to marts and events.
The new range is being manufactured at the company’s original factory, Cynwyd, where the Ifor Williams Trailers story began in 1958.
Orders are flooding in and the launch has already created 15 jobs across the company. This includes he assembly of the new trailers at Cynwyd as well as the Ty’n Llidiart factory in Corwen where components are made.
Mr Skates said, “The launch of the new Tow-Max range is fabulous news for Ifor Williams Trailers, brilliant for Cynwyd and superb for the workforce and it builds on the really rich, proud history of this particular site.”
Managing director John Williams added, “We’re very proud to be launching the new Tow-Max range, diversifying our well established range of trailers to target a new customer sector looking for a lighter trailer, but with the strength and durability associated with the Ifor Williams brand.”
Dave Walsh, site manager at Cynwyd, went on, “It’s a huge vote of confidence in the workforce here.
“We’ve got a great team with many loyal and long-serving members of staff and they are delighted be at the forefront of such a significant product launch for the company. It’s a real feather in their caps.”
