Linde has unveiled its new generation of IC counterbalance trucks boasting "new standards in terms of availability, efficiency, sustainability and safety".

The new forklift line is based on an extensive data survey involving close to 1,000 forklift drivers and fleet managers from 26 countries.

"We listened closely to our customers and passed on their comments to our development engineers," says Stefan Prokosch, senior vice president, product management, industrial trucks - counterbalance at Linde Material Handling.

Connectivity lies at the heart of the new trucks which come fully networked as standard. Vehicle data is transmitted to a central cloud server in Western Europe which can be accessed by customers and sales partners. In turn, data can also be received and processed. This connectivity makes it possible to carry out over-the-air software updates and activate functions such as the load weight display.

According to Linde, the new range heralds "a new era … (and) marks the end of the design separation of IC and electric forklifts. All new counterbalance trucks in the load capacity range of 1.2 to 5 T will from now on be based on a uniform modular concept.

"We want to offer our customers equivalent vehicles for all applications – regardless of the type of drive," explains Prokosch. In this way, Linde Material Handling makes it easier for customers to embark on the transformation process towards sustainable drive concepts.

For now, however, the initial focus is on diesel, petrol and natural gas drives.