The eco-truck.

Toyota Industrial Equipment Netherlands (TIEN) has developed a forklift prototype that produces less exhaust fumes.

It was prompted by a customer's forklifts receiving a negative review from health and safety inspectors.

TIEN service manager Cees Wondergem told Forkliftaction.com News the eco-truck, still undergoing pre-commercialisation adjustments, ran on pure plantaardige oile (PPO), Dutch for pure vegetable oil.

"One of our customers had a visit from the health and safety inspection. They concluded their forklifts produced too many exhaust fumes. The fuel pumps were changed but there was still a high emission of soot," Wondergem said.

"PPO reduces the soot emission by 50 per cent so it was very interesting to research this solution further," he said.

The Toyota 02-7FD45 Eco has two fuel tanks. One contains diesel and the other PPO. PPO's ignition temperature is four times higher than diesel's and PPO is thicker.

The forklift runs on diesel when it starts or is stationary. Once it is moving, the PPO fuel pump starts working and the diesel engine runs on PPO.

TIEN product marketer Jos de Wildt said the thicker vegetable oil left residue in the engine.

"Diesel is consumed until the engine is warmed up enough to process the thicker vegetable oil. At the end of the operation, the forklift needs to run on diesel for a few minutes before it is turned off. This avoids leaving oil residue that can damage the engine over time."

According to a TIEN statement, the eco-truck emits 50 per cent less carbon monoxide, 40 per cent less hydrocarbons and 50 per cent less soot particles than a diesel-only forklift.

TIEN names PPO's other advantages as being "not toxic, free from sulphur and biologically degradable". The engine is also quieter.

TIEN claimed PPO, being "pure cold-pressed vegetable oil without chemical additions or molecular structural changes" was different to biodiesel.

"You could use the oil for cooking or as salad dressing. Biodiesel, however, is based on PPO but other agents are added to achieve the right viscosity and combustion properties," the Dutch forklift importer said.

The eco-truck was exhibited at the Logistica trade fair at Jaarbeurs exhibition centre, in Utrecht, the Netherlands, from November 14 to November 18 (Forkliftaction.com News #287).