Narrow Aisle Ltd has unveiled a LPG-powered version of its Flexi articulated forklift. It also showed the new Flexi AC drive model which is now in full production.

Narrow Aisle debuted the new truck at last month's IMHX 2004. The GM-engined three litre machine is built on the same platform as Flexi's DC and AC versions.

"We designed the original electric truck keeping the potential for an engine in mind," said Peter Woolridge, managing director and owner of Flexi. "We won't probably launch the new machine outside the UK before the end of the year," he said.

Narrow Aisle has been building its niche electrical forklifts for about two decades. With the LPG version it aims at inside-outside operations. The Flexi's other appeal is that it operates in aisles of just 1750 millimetres, putting it squarely in the UK's 3,000 units a year narrow aisle segment.

Flexi is on the move in other areas as well. Last year about 50 machines found homes in Europe, where France is Flexi's biggest European customer. Ten trucks also went to Spain, and about 150 were sold in the USA.

A dealer network has been built in Italy, Denmark and the Netherlands, and the company wants more dealers in Germany and elsewhere.