Digitally Native Elevator for Older Buildings

TKE launches EOX Renew in Spain, Portugal and Italy.

submitted by TKE
images courtesy of TKE

On October 5, TK Elevator (TKE) launched the EOX Renew elevator — boosting accessibility, sustainability and property value in older buildings — in Spain, Portugal and Italy. The product will soon be available in additional European countries. Designed and produced in Europe using 100% green electricity, EOX Renew requires up to 28% less energy to operate than comparable elevators, due to regenerative-drive technology. It is the newest member of the EOX family of elevators for low- and medium-rise residential buildings. While EOX brings outstanding digital and sustainability features to standard elevators in new buildings, EOX Renew’s flexible structure delivers these benefits to existing, older buildings, making them ready for the future and accessible for all residents. 

Several studies indicate that these measures are urgently required in Europe. According to the European Council, 24% of the total European Union population is living with disabilities, while, according to Eurostat, more than 21% of Europe’s population is 65 years and older. The majority live in Europe’s major cities, where older buildings are often equipped with antiquated elevators that are up to 30 years old. In Italy alone, more than 50% of operational lifts are more than 30 years old. In Spain, more than 5 million people live in apartment blocks of three or more floors with no elevator at all. The challenge in many of these buildings is to preserve their architectural structure while overcoming their accessibility barriers. For older lifts, the challenge extends to bringing them up to current safety, energy-efficiency and accessibility standards while limiting the inconvenience of civil works for building residents. 

EOX Renew addresses these specific challenges, enabling a safe, modern and efficient elevator to be installed even in buildings with no existing shaft or no additional interior space. It helps make buildings accessible for everyone, including older residents and those with mobility issues, while also increasing their value for building owners — in some cases, by up to nearly 40%. 

TKE Chief Operating Officer Vincent Della Valle said:

“EOX Renew reinforces the value of rejuvenating older buildings, making them attractive and economically viable for residents and owners. Modernizing existing structures also plays a vital role in building sustainable cities by helping to reduce carbon emissions from new construction. We are proud to contribute to this endeavor with a holistic and competitive solution, and are looking forward to our customers experiencing the improved mobility it enables in their buildings very soon.”

Designed and produced in Europe using 100% green electricity, EOX Renew requires up to 28% less energy to operate than comparable elevators, due to regenerative-drive technology.

An Elevator for Every Building

Every building is different, so EOX Renew was designed to fit almost any building. It can be easily installed in the stairwell, on the façade or in the courtyard. Thanks to the flexible cabin dimensions, compact shaft components, choice of counterweight position, door types and adjustment of floor doors down to the last millimeter, it can build a connection between residents and the outside world in even the most complex old buildings. 

Transporting More People in the Same Space

EOX Renew makes optimal use of the existing shaft, providing the building with the biggest cabin possible and enabling higher load capacities, improving overall accessibility and travel comfort for passengers.

Installation Time Minimized

EOX Renew offers hassle-free installation that reduces civil works to a minimum, thereby reducing any inconvenience for building residents and ensuring cost transparency and on-time delivery of an operational elevator. 

Digitally and Environmentally Sustainable

With buildings in Europe collectively responsible for up to 40% of all energy consumption, EOX Renew delivers a host of ways to bring this figure down. A true digital native, it has the built-in capacity to grow and change as technology evolves via over-the-air software updates, making it digitally sustainable. Enhanced energy-efficiency features such as a regenerative drive mean it is also capable of recouping energy while operating, and has a Class A energy-efficiency rating. Another feather in its environmentally sustainable cap is that it is shipped from Italy, where the TKE factory runs on 100% renewable electricity.