Toyota Industries Corp. has announced it will launch the world's first internal combustion hybrid lift truck. Sales of the Toyota diesel hybrid lift trucks will begin in the Japanese market this December.
The 'GENEO-HYBRID' 8,000 lb. counterbalanced lift truck combines a 2.5-liter diesel engine, electric motor and nickel-metal hydride battery to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 50%.
Toyota Industires has sold more than 193,000 lift trucks worldwide in 2008.
Powered by highly efficient Toyota hybrid technology, the GENEO-HYBRID combines a Series Hybrid System for driving and a Parallel Hybrid System for load handling. With the Series Hybrid System, the lift truck's drive motor runs on electric energy from the engine-powered generator and battery. Load handling functions are powered by a Parallel Hybrid System with a hydraulic pump that receives mechanical energy from the diesel engine and generator, and electric energy from the battery. The nickel hydride battery is recharged by the engine's operation and does not require plug-in recharging, making it an ideal solution for multi-shift operations. The truck's power efficiency is further boosted by the integrated use of regenerated energy recovered when the accelerator is released and during switch back operation.
Developed and manufactured in Japan, the GENEO-HYBRID lift truck will be launched to the Japanese market first. The timeline for launching Toyota hybrid lift trucks in the U.S. is not yet decided.
In line with its environmental commitment and philosophy of continuous improvement (kaizen), the company says it is exploring a range of technologies using existing fuels as well as alternative energy sources to meet evolving industry needs.
