Konecranes has introduced a new line of heavy forklifts with silent, fully electric drivelines and the other latest eco-efficient features with zero direct emissions.
The company said its new E-VER line is the latest addition to the Konecranes Ecolifting family and its first electric lift truck among several eco-friendly technologies it has introduced over the years. Lisa Martinsson, senior project manager who leads Konecrane’s programme to develop electric lift trucks, said: “Electrically-powered lifting is well-established in Konecranes, but in this project, we are being innovative and raising electrification to the next level. We are resetting the industry standard once again.”
According to Konecranes, in comparison with a standard diesel engine, the E-VER cuts energy consumption by up to 70%. The lithium-ion battery that powers the truck’s two motors saves time by taking just 45 minutes to fully recharge. When the truck is in motion, it adds braking energy to the charge. Surrounded by a protective frame, it’s safe from physical damage and can be charged anywhere. The battery will last for at least 3,000 full-charge cycles, which is up to four times as long as other types of batteries, said Konecranes.
“The E-VER electric forklift needs less time and money for maintenance because it has common electrical modules and few moving parts. With no heat and less vibration, components will last longer. No oil means less chemical waste and less servicing,” the manufacturer’s statement said.
Safety is taken care of in the E-VER electric forklift with redundant sensors for faster diagnostics and failsafe functioning. In addition to the in-cabin display, there are electric signals all around the machine to alert the driver to the most important details of the vehicle’s operation, such as when to recharge.
The Konecranes E-VER uses the company’s TRUCONNECT Remote Monitoring to follow the battery charge status along with energy consumption and recovery. The yourKONECRANES.com customer portal puts all this information together in one place, providing management and operational KPIs as well as data visualisation and trend charts to monitor and control the truck’s operational efficiency, productivity, safety and environmental impact.
Konecranes’ new IoT platform is designed to support vehicle-to-everything communication, meaning direct streaming of data from the truck and any systems it can interact with, backed by high levels of data security and cybersecurity. Moreover, the IoT platform makes it easy to monitor, control and analyse customers’ lift trucks fleet and optimise their operations, said Konecranes.
Andreas Falk, senior vice president of Konecranes Business Unit Lift Trucks, said: “Fitted with our state-of-the-art Smart Connected technology, the new Konecranes E-VER electric forklift will benefit our customers by dramatically reducing their environmental impact while providing improved performance. Many customers are planning fully carbon-neutral operations for the near future and electrification is the most logical way forward. We would like to help them with that by offering an ideal solution for their world.”
