Toyota Industries Corp. (TICO) has announced the launch of the company’s first internal combustion hybrid lift truck — the Geneo-Hybrid — developed with hy- brid technology from the Toyota Motor Corp. TICO said the Geneo-Hybrid forklift was developed to meet the needs of a midsize lift truck while also meeting environmental and fuel con- sumption performance standards. The 3. 5 ton counterbalanced Geneo-Hybrid lift truck is configured with a 2. 5 L Toyota diesel engine rated 50.96 hp that drives a generator and hydraulic pump to supply an elec- tric motor. Electrical energy is stored in a nickel-metal hydride battery. TICO said this configuration re- duces fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 50%, while maintaining the performance of a conventional diesel-powered unit. The company also said the forklift is able to operate 26 hours before needing to be refu- eled. Results are based on TICO’s measurements according to the oper- ating cycle of German VDI standards. The Geneo-Hybrid lift truck com- bines a series hybrid system for travel and a parallel hybrid system for load handling. In the series hybrid system, the 26 k W drive motor, integrated on the front axle, is powered by electric energy from the generator and the battery, which receives its charge from the engine-driven generator. For load handling, the parallel hybrid system operates a 46. 5 cc/rev hydraulic pump that receives mechanical energy from the diesel engine and electric energy from the battery. The nickel-metal hydride battery is re- charged by the engine’s operation and does not require plug-in recharging. To
further the power efficiency, the lift truck harnesses energy regenerated from the frequent release of the accelerator and during switchback operation.
Toyota Introduces Hybrid Lift Truck LIFT EQUIPMENT
Toyota Industries Corp. has intro- duced the 3. 5 ton Geneo- Hybrid forklift, targeting the midsize lift truck market. The Geneo-Hybrid lift truck combines a series hybrid system for travel and a parallel hybrid system for load han- dling. The company said the lift truck maintains the performance of a diesel-powered unit, while reducing fuel consumption and emissions.
The lift truck has a maxi- mum travel speed of 11. 8 mph and an 8000 lb. load capacity. It was scheduled to be launched in Japan in December. TICO said the U.S. launch date has not been set. dp
