Fujian Southchina Heavy Machinery Manufacture (SOCMA) has produced what it describes as the "first 50T electric heavy-duty forklift” produced from the Quanzhou Taiwanese Investment Zone.

SOCMA says the forklift went from research to production in eight months with the first unit bound for an unnamed Japanese client.

SOCMA general manager Guo Junfeng explains the new electric forklift has three significant features - “low energy consumption, low noise, and excellent handling performance”.

Deputy chief engineer with SOCMA, Guo Haibo, adds: “This model has a unique feature—energy recovery. When the vehicle decelerates, given its weight of about 60 tons, reverse kinetic energy is generated. This design allows every deceleration to charge the vehicle's battery.”

SOCMA, based in Fujian, was founded in 2010 and manufactures and sells forklifts, telehandlers and construction machinery, exporting to 40 countries and regions.

It has embraced the move from diesel-powered technology to electric battery power, with electric machinery accounting for 30% of the the company’s product line

“Moving forward, Huanan Heavy Industries plans to open a specialised electric machinery production plant to accelerate new product development, injecting new momentum into the transformation and development of the mechanical manufacturing industry in the Quanzhou Taiwanese Investment Zone,” the company states.