Toyota to launch hybrid forklift

Toyota Industries Corp. announced that it will release a hybrid forklift in December. It will run off a combination of a diesel engine and a nickel metal hydride battery for improved fuel efficiency and reduced carbon dioxide emissions. Komatsu Ltd. currently offers a hybrid forklift that uses capacitors to store and release charge, but the forklift from Toyota will be the world’s first hybrid model that uses a nickel metal hydride battery. The new forklift features a maximum load capacity of 3.5 tons. Energy expended as the machine decelerates is converted into electricity and stored in the battery. When lifting heavy loads, the energy from the battery supplements the power from the diesel engine, helping to cut fuel consumption. The engine itself has been modified to operate with improved performance and twice the fuel efficiency of existing models. Toyota will price the forklift at around ¥6 million (US$62,318), around 40% higher than regular diesel-engine versions. (May 21, 2009)