Hyundai Material Handling and OneCharge have entered into a strategic partnership to provide advanced lithium ion battery technology to Hyundai’s North American dealer network and its customers.

Research indicates that by 2030, 70% of all electric forklifts will be powered by Li-ion batteries, which offer an economical, efficient alternative to older lead acid batteries.  With this new partnership, Hyundai will be able to offer Li-ion batteries that need no daily maintenance while delivering a longer lifespan and lower operating costs.

Lewis Byers, vice president of Hyundai Material Handling, North America, says demand for Li-ion power supply in the forklift industry is growing at a rapid rate, and matching a Hyundai forklift with OneCharge Li-ion power gives dealers and customers “an unrivalled combination”.

 “We’re happy to offer our solutions to Hyundai customers and to provide better support to many of our customers already using OneCharge Li-ion batteries in their Hyundai forklifts,” says Tim Karimov, president of OneCharge. “We have been focusing on promoting lithium batteries for materials handling equipment for over six years and have played a major role in the growing acceptance of this technology in this essential market.”

OneCharge Li-ion batteries have full communications integration with Hyundai’s 9U Series of electric forklifts. This plug-and-play configuration allows the battery to seamlessly integrate with the truck. The result is that Hyundai’s state-of-the-art interactive instrument cluster retains its full functionality monitoring the battery state of charge and low battery warning system.