The new Linde electric counterbalanced forklift.

An on-board battery charger has been included in Linde Materials Handling's "redesigned" electric counterbalanced forklift range.

A Linde statement said the E12 to E20 range, based on Linde's electric counterbalanced 39X series and R14X to R17X reach trucks, had several innovations designed to manage energy.

"About 80 per cent of the forklift has been re-engineered and re-designed" after Linde engineers spent 3-1/2 years developing technical innovations in the drive and control units to produce energy savings, the statement said.

It was the first time an on-board battery charger had been installed in a forklift in the European market.

"The on-board battery charger is in the counterweight and is precisely matched to the size of the battery," the statement said.

"The flexibility associated with an on-board charger enables the battery to be recharged at any available power outlet whenever convenient or necessary. Apart from not having to drive to a fixed charging station, errors due to connecting to the wrong or an unsuitable charger are eliminated."

The statement said other technical innovations included an accurate battery discharge indicator.

"A large display directly in front of the operator keeps track of how much energy is left and how long the forklift can keep running before the battery needs to be recharged or changed," it said.

Linde Materials Handling GmbH managing director Georg Silbermann said other unique features included a nearly maintenance-free enclosed drive axle in which all main components, such as power modules, traction motors and lift motors, were integrated.

Silbermann said the new range, with capacities from 1,200kg to 2,000kg, was available in every country except the US, where a modified version would be distributed.

Linde Materials Handling Australia sales manager NSW George Pappas said the E12 to E20 range would probably be released in Australia in November or December.

Linde said German dealers would accept the first European orders this month.

The new forklift, which rolled off the Aschaffenburg plant in June, was called Linde's "most important truck release for 2006", at a press preview in France (Forkliftaction.com News #265).