With the increasing electrification of the southern German routes, the need for an electric shunting locomotive arose, since the large stations now also had overhead lines across the board. The 14 procured engines were characterized by the fact that all of them were still in use up to 50 years after they were put into service. The first twelve were completely manufactured by AEG and the last two received the electrical part from Siemens-Schuckert-Werke.

In order to save costs, the manufacturers were instructed to use as many parts from the E 52 and E 91 as possible. As a result, the chassis of the E 60 with the three powered axles was almost identical to a bogie of the E 91 and the double motor still was the type, which was used twice in each of the two series mentioned. In order to be able to better distribute the weight, a bissel axle was added at the front end. The most striking feature of the locomotives was the very short front hood, which carried only a small part of the electrical equipment. The double motor, the transformer and other facilities were housed in the very long rear hood. The result of this was that all three coupled axles were located below the rear hood due to the unusual weight distribution.

In addition to shunting, the engines were occasionally used in Munich suburban traffic and on branch lines. They had a bell for this, which was later removed. After the war, all locomotives came to the Bundesbahn, where they were fitted with new pantographs. A modernization followed in 1960, which was evident externally in the more generously glazed driver's cab. From 1968, the Bundesbahn ran the previous E 60 as numbers 160 001 to 160 014. All 14 units were in service until 1977, and the first two were not retired until this year. Their number gradually decreased until only road number 160 012 was operational. This one suffered damage in August 1983 and has now also been retired because the procurement of spare parts had already stopped. They and two others have survived to this day, but none of them are in roadworthy condition.

Since there was a further need for electric shunting locomotives after the procurement of the E 60, additional locomotives were to be ordered for southern Germany. Although the E 60 served its purpose, the company wanted to take advantage of the advances in development and commissioned two competitors to develop a modern locomotive using assemblies from existing models. A main focus was the removal of the carrying axle in order to be able to use the entire weight of the locomotive for traction. The current state of development brought weight savings with it, which led to a three-axle design with a similar tractive power as the E 60 being considered. The chassis construction with the jackshaft and the three coupled axles was to be based on that of the E 60. The specific order now went to AEG on the one hand and to a joint venture consisting of Krauss-Maffei and the BBC on the other.

In 1935, AEG delivered four examples of their design as road numbers E 63 01 to E 63 04. They used one of the motors, of which the E 18 had four, to power them. It achieved an hourly output of 725 kW and was given a high tractive power with a much shorter gear ratio. Due to the small size of the engine and a clever arrangement of the equipment, it was possible to keep the hoods low compared to the predecessor and thus ensure good visibility in both directions. Two engines each were stationed in Munich and Stuttgart.

The three engines from Krauss-Maffei and BBC were also delivered in 1935 and were given the numbers E 63 05 to E 63 07. They were also given a motor from a four-motor express locomotive from the same manufacturer, which in this case was the E 16¹. As with the E 60, the equipment was accommodated in relatively high hoods that were sloped at the ends. All three were used in Munich.

The comparison not only showed the better visibility of the AEG engines, but also the starting tractive effort of 167 kN and 118 kN differed much more despite similar hourly output. Thus, in the course of the planned electrification of further main lines and the associated stations, it was decided to procure further pieces of the AEG draft. Due to the beginning of the war, however, only the E 63 08 was built.

All eight pieces survived the Second World War. Two of them, which had been on Austrian territory, were brought back to Germany in exchange for other locomotives. There, six were used at different locations in Bavaria and two in Stuttgart. All were modernized in 1960 and redesignated as class 163 in 1968. All eight were still in service until about the mid-1970s, but their numbers then quickly dwindled and finally, in 1979, 163 002 was the last to be retired. Four engines have survived to this day, of which road number E 63 02 has been operational again since 2013.

The only electric shunting locomotive that SNCF put into service was the CC 1100. It was developed for the PO, but delivered directly to SNCF. It had low power, but six axles for high traction. Only two axles were driven directly by the traction motors, the others were connected by coupling rods. A rotating converter allowed stepless control. The locomotives were modernized between 1989 and 1995 and retired between 1998 and 2005.

Since almost all tracks in the stations in Switzerland were electrified early on, electric shunting tractors were purchased for light marshalling services. For this purpose, the SLM manufactured the Te III from 1941 using the electrical part from SAAS. One axle was driven by a nose-suspended motor and was connected to the second axle via coupling rods. 

The SBB initially only received six Te^III. A total of 19 more were purchased by various private railways, some of which were referred to as Ce 2/2 from the start. The SBB later redesignated its Te^III as Ce 2/2 and took over additional locomotives from private railways.