Jungheinrich has received a major order for more than 1,000 lithium-ion vehicles. This is the largest order ever awarded for vehicles fitted with lithium-ion batteries anywhere in the world.

For the intralogistics providers at Jungheinrich, it is the largest vehicle order volume in the company’s history. The internationally active key account will employ the vehicles over the coming months in warehouses and shipping centres in Great Britain, France, Italy and Germany. More than 700 of the 1,000-plus industrial trucks will consist of vertical order pickers designed for use in narrow aisle warehouses.

“Jungheinrich is the undisputed No. 1 for industrial trucks fitted with lithium-ion batteries,” reports Dr. Lars Brzoska, Member of the Jungheinrich Board of Management in charge of Marketing & Sales, continuing: “This order sets a new milestone for electro-mobility. And it underscores Jungheinrich’s unrivalled mastery of lithium-ion technology.”

Jungheinrich is currently the world’s only manufacturer of industrial trucks to produce its own lithium-ion batteries. In comparison with conventional lead-acid batteries, lithium-ion technology results in a substantial increase in performance. Produced at the Jungheinrich plant in Norderstedt, Germany, the batteries can communicate with the vehicle as well as the charging device.

Over the past three years Jungheinrich has experienced an annual 300 per cent increase in sales of its lithium-ion batteries. Based on continued strong global demand for this product, the Group is planning to considerably expand its manufacturing capacity.

“Currently no other intralogistics brand has more lithium-ion vehicles in operation than Jungheinrich. We are the technology leader in the field and are setting worldwide standards. Jungheinrich is the world’s only ‘one-stop shop’ for complete systems - from the charging device and the battery to the actual lithium-ion vehicle. The high performance standards of lithium-ion batteries means it will be possible to electrify application fields that are currently dominated by IC powered engines,” explains Brzoska.

Jan Lorenz, Managing Director, Jungheinrich UK, adds: “This order sets the tone for the future of lithium-ion technology within materials handling and Jungheinrich is proud to be at the forefront of the movement. As the only manufacturer of industrial trucks that also produces its own lithium-ion batteries, we’re setting an industry standard. The benefits of using the technology have become clear worldwide and in the UK we’re continuing to expand the available ranges of lithium-ion technology, underpinned by our 5 year warranty.”

Apart from high performance, the advantages of lithium-ion technology include faster charging times, zero maintenance and a particularly long product life. The fast and short interim charging times enable the virtually continuous operation of fleets on a 24/7 basis. And time-consuming battery changes are a thing of the past with lithium-ion batteries. Customers can now dispense with spare batteries as well as battery changing equipment. And since neither gases nor acid are emitted by lithium-ion batteries, special charging stations equipped with expensive exhaust systems are no longer necessary.