Some of the savings come from the diesel and some from the hybridized drivetrain.
Wayne Gerdes -
CleanMPG - June 5, 2009
Toyota Lifttruck – Hybridized diesel on the way.
Irvine, CA. -- Toyota announced it will launch the world’s first internal combustion hybrid lift truck. Sales of the Toyota diesel hybrid lift trucks will begin in the Japanese market this December.
Leveraging their expertise and leadership in Automobile hybrid technology, the ‘GENEO-HYBRID’ 8,000 lb. counterbalanced lift truck combines a 2.5-liter diesel engine, electric motor and nickel-metal hydride battery to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 50%.
As businesses look to reduce fuel costs and decrease CO2 emissions, Toyota Hybrid technology offers a practical, proven solution by capitalizing on the advantages of existing fuel sources and infrastructure. The new GENEO-HYBRID lift truck will cut fuel consumption in half while at the same time deliver the operational performance of an equivalent conventional diesel-powered lift truck. The result is a lift truck that provides economic benefits for customers due to lower fuel costs.
The global leader in materials handling, TICO (Toyota Industries Corporation ) sold more than 193,000 lift trucks worldwide in 2008, and was named on FORTUNE magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies Top 50 list.
“Toyota has been a leader in hybrid development for years with the very popular Prius vehicle,” said Brett Wood, president of TMHU. “We are excited to see hybrid technology entering the mainstream of material handling. This is a huge step forward for our industry.”
Powered by highly efficient Toyota hybrid technology, the GENEO-HYBRID combines a Series Hybrid System for driving and a Parallel Hybrid System for load handling. With the Series Hybrid System, the lift truck’s drive motor runs on electric energy from the engine-powered generator and battery. Load handling functions are powered by a Parallel Hybrid System with a hydraulic pump that receives mechanical energy from the diesel engine and generator, and electric energy from the battery. The NiMH battery is recharged by the engine’s operation and does not require plug-in recharging, making it an ideal solution for multi-shift operations. The truck’s power efficiency is further boosted by the integrated use of regenerated energy recovered when the accelerator is released and during switch back operation.
Developed and manufactured in Japan, the GENEO-HYBRID lift truck will be launched to the Japanese market first. The timeline for launching Toyota hybrid lift trucks in the U.S. is not yet decided.
All-Electrics will more than likely be the future for the market as fuel costs continue to rise.
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