The incorporation of lithium-ion technology into
warehouse trucks is helping to improve safety while
offering environmental and productivity benefits, as
Tesco is discovering
In its quest to reduce carbon
emissions aThe incorporation of lithium-ion technology into
warehouse trucks is helping to improve safety while
offering environmental and productivity benefits, as
Tesco is discovering
In its quest to reduce carbon
emissions across its materials
handling fleet, Tesco is using a
lithium ion-powered pallet truck
recently introduced by Jungheinrich.
The lithium-ion powered EJE 112i
powered pallet truck, which was launched
at this year's CeMAT exhibition in
Germany, will shortly be in operation at
one of Tesco's main distribution centres.
Jungheinrich believes that lithium-Ion
technology offers a number of
environmental and productivity benefits
over traditional lead acid batteries. The
battery used to power the EJE 112i weighs
just 14kg. It looks very much like a
briefcase and can be handled easily
without any form of lifting gear.
Quick charge
Charging is quick and simple - it takes
just 30 minutes to deliver a 50% charge
and the battery is fully charged within 80
minutes.
The short charging times enable more
flexible truck utilisation and 'opportunity
charging' - something that Jungheinrich
believes will be particularly welcome at
sites running multiple shifts.
A single charge is sufficient to power
the truck through a typical eight hour
shift and, importantly, when it comes to
recharging, a dedicated charging bay is
not required. The battery is simply
removed by hand from the truck and
placed within a recharging docking device
that can be positioned near a power
supply anywhere within the building.
The simplicity of the recharging process
reduces the need for dedicated battery
charging room personnel.
Smaller and lighter
The smaller and lighter battery means that
Jungheinrich has been able to
dramatically reduce the size of the truck's
battery compartment and, therefore,
shrink the truck's overall dimensions. The
length of the EJE 112i is 425mm which,
says Jungheinrich, is more than 70mm
less than a comparable model with a
similar capacity powered by traditional
lead acid technology.
The combined weight of the EJE 112i
and its lithium ion battery is just 289kg -
some 30% less than the weight of some
lead acid powered models of the same
load capacity.
The lightness of the new model makes
it suitable for loading and unloading
lorries with tail-lifts.
Step change in design
Bill Goodwin, sales director of
Jungheinrich UK, comments: "We believe
that our new lithium-ion powered EJE
112i represents a step change in forklift
truck design.We have been researching
alternative fuels for a long time and
believe that with its rapid charging, long
running times and compact truck
dimensions our lithium ion powered
pallet truck will be welcomed
by truck users in all sectors and
of all sizes." Lithium ion
batteries have been used for
many years in consumer
electronics but have
been growing in
popularity
for military, electric
vehicle and
aerospace
applications.
Jungheinrich explains
that they have a higher energy
density which means that for
their size or weight they can store
more energy and, as they have a low
discharge rate, they retain their charge for
longer.
Commenting on the new truck,
Richard Ash, Tesco's corporate
purchasing manager, says: "As a company,
Tesco is taking up the environmental
challenge and is striving to reduce carbon
emissions across the business.
"With its low energy consumption, we
believe that the new Jungheinrich EJE
112i truck could play a significant role in
helping to reduce CO2
emissions across our
materials handling
fleet." Tesco
currently operates
a large fleet of
Jungheinrich
powered pallet
trucks in the UK and
an extensive fleet of
Jungheinrich materials
handling equipment
throughout its global
distribution operation.
