Each week Forkliftaction News reports on the latest in materials handling from across the globe, including trends and developments in the forklift battery market, from new products and technologies to business acquisitions and market expansions. Get up to date with this July, August roundup.

In August

Hyster ships a hydrogen fuel cell reachstacker to the Port of Valencia. The machines onboard hydrogen fuel cell charges the batteries, which power the electric motors and hydraulic systems required to lift laden containers.

Mitsubishi Logisnext Americas breaks the ground on a new production facility in Houston, planned to assist the company in meeting the demand for electric equipment. 

Forklift dealer Liftow is set to distribute UgoWork lithium-ion batteries throughout Canada.

Clark releases a compact high-lift pedestrian stacker, the SWX16, with lithium-ion battery, and a load capacity of 1.6 t.

Doosan Industrial Vehicle America chooses Green Cubes as the preferred power systems vendor to support its electric forklift product line in North America. 

EnerSys adds an 80 V model to its NexSys iON lithium-ion batteries. The battery’s fast recharge and long run times makes it suitable for heavy-duty equipment.

Hoppecke launches a charger capable of powering up eight individual lead acid batteries. Designed to save floor and shelf space in warehouses, it can also be used to charge batteries with differing voltages (24 V to 80 V) and capacities (64 Ah to 1550 Ah).

From the blogs, learn about the five trends that are driving electrification in the forklift industry: advances in lithium batteries, developments in charging technology, equipment rentals popularity, standardisation and growth in charging infrastructure, and regulatory pressure. 

In July

Yale unveils its new Power Key option, a factory option that will allow its equipment users to switch between three battery modes: lead-acid, lithium-ion, and TPPL.

Sunlight Group acquires 100% of Triathlon Holding, advancing its plan to expand its presence in Europe and the United States. The Sunlight Group plans to set up a 20 GWh facility in Europe to produce lithium-ion battery cells.

Big Joe Forklifts unveils new electric equipment models, the CB30/CB35 Walkie Counterbalance Stackers, available with lead-acid or lithium batteries.

And from the blogs, read about different ways that companies are repurposing batteries after the end of their useful life, to reduce waste. Under the right conditions this offers another five to ten years of use in less power-intensive applications. 

And while you are here…in a recent feature FORKLIFTACTION NEWS asks leading forklift manufactures for their thoughts on the design and performance benefits of forklift electrification and guidance on what investments are required before updating whole fleets to electric.

 
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