Jungheinrich has announced what it believes to be one of the most significant developments in forklift truck technology for many years. Following successful trials Jungheinrich’s new lithium ion-powered pallet truck – the EJE 112i – is now in production and available to order.

Lithium-Ion technology is said to offer a number of environmental and productivity benefits over traditional lead acid batteries. The battery unit itself, for example, is radically different from a lead acid battery. The battery used to power the EJE 112i weighs just 14kg. It looks very much like a brief case and can be handled easily without lifting gear.

Charging takes just 30 minutes to deliver a 50 per cent charge and the battery is fully charged within 80 minutes. The short charging times enable more flexible truck utilisation and ‘opportunity charging’ – something that will be particularly welcome at sites running multiple shifts.

The EJE 112i was among several new products unveiled by Jungheinrich at the recent CeMAT exhibition in Hannover.