Toyota Industries Corporation (Toyota Industries) will launch a new internal combustion hybrid lift truck, GENEO-HYBRID. The sales of Toyota diesel hybrid lift trucks will commence in the Japanese market from December 2009. The new GENEO-HYBRID 8,000 lb. counterbalanced lift truck unites a 2.5-liter diesel engine, electric motor and nickel-metal hydride battery to lessen fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 50%.
As businesses look to lessen fuel costs and decrease CO2 emissions, Toyota Hybrid technology provides a practical, proven solution by capitalizing on the advantages of existing fuel sources and infrastructure. The new GENEO-HYBRID lift truck will cut CO2 emissions and fuel consumption in half while delivering the operational performance of an equivalent conventional diesel-powered lift truck. The result is a lift truck that offers both improved environmental performance and economic benefits for customers due to lower fuel costs.
Toyota Industries sold more than 193,000 lift trucks globally in 2008. Toyota Material Handling,U.S.A., Inc. (TMHU), the U.S. distributor for Toyota material handling products, is a TICO subsidiary.
Brett Wood, president of TMHU said. We are excited to see hybrid technology entering the mainstream of material handling. This is a step forward for our industry.
Powered by 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 nickel hydride battery is revived by the engine’s operation and does not require plug-in recharging, making it a suitable solution for multi-shift operations. The truck’s power efficiency is further enhanced 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 US is not yet decided.
In line with its environmental commitment and philosophy of continuous improvement (kaizen), Toyota is exploring a range of technologies using existing fuels as well as alternative energy sources to meet evolving industry needs.