Mumbai-based battery technology developer Gegadyne Energy, says its delivery of the first non-lithium multi-ion chemistry battery packs to two of the world’s largest materials handling OEMs represents a genuine “inflection point for the forklift industry”.

Gegadyne has now completed the first commercial deployment its non-lithium multi-ion chemistry battery packs with Linde Material Handling India and Godrej & Boyce.

Gegadyne says the 5,000-plus cycle life batteries charge from zero to 100% in less than 15 minutes, eliminating lithium supply chain dependency “entirely”.

The batteries have been designed for forklifts, cranes and warehouse equipment and can operate in temperatures ranging from -40 to 65-degrees Celsius.

“[This is] a significant shift for the forklift industry currently dominated by lead-acid and lithium-ion chemistries,” Gegadyne adds in a statement.

“This is the first commercial deployment of multi-ion battery technology in the material handling sector at this scale, by an Indian manufacturer.”

Jubin Varghese, CEO of Gegadyne Energy, tells Forkliftaction News this move has the potential to shift the electrification focus away from lithium-based battery solutions to new technology. 

“While lithium-ion has been a meaningful improvement over lead-acid, it comes with well-known challenges,” Varghese continues. “High costs driven by lithium supply chain volatility, thermal safety concerns in warehouse environments, and charging infrastructure constraints that limit multi-shift operations.

“Lithium is trying to solve the lead-acid problem. We're solving lithium's limits.

“This is the first time a non-lithium battery technology has achieved validated commercial deployment at scale with tier-1 material handling OEMs. 

“For fleet operators, procurement heads, and OEM decision-makers, this opens a real conversation about diversifying away from lithium dependency for the first time.”