Yale wins 2024 Green GOOD DESIGN Award for fully integrated lithium-ion lift trucks

GREENVILLE, N.C.  (Oct. 10, 2024) – Yale Lift Truck Technologies announces that the ERC050-060VGL series of lithium-ion powered lift trucks is a recipient of a 2024 Green GOOD DESIGN® award. The line of 5,000-to-6,000-pound load capacity cushion tire lift trucks is designed to bring warehouse operations the benefits of factory integrated lithium-ion power, including improved productivity, ergonomics and zero emissions.

 

While operations have traditionally utilized a battery box replacement to convert counterbalanced lift trucks from lead-acid to lithium-ion battery power, the ERC-VGL series is completely designed around a fully integrated, space-saving lithium-ion battery pack. This design helps free space in the operator compartment, combining ergonomic benefits with the advantages of lithium-ion technology—including zero emissions during operation and no off-gassing during the charging process—to maximize comfort, convenience and performance.

 

“The ERC050-060VGL is an example of our commitment to customer-driven design, helping warehouses not only meet sustainability targets, but address critical labor and productivity challenges,” says Brad Long, Brand Manager, Yale Lift Truck Technologies. “Designing this truck around integrated lithium-ion power presented an opportunity to make significant changes to the operator compartment that make adopting this zero-emission technology even more appealing.”

 

The slim form factor of the lithium-ion battery pack enables a lower floor plate, enabling easier entry and exit from the truck, with open space below the seat that gives operators more freedom to position their feet. It also allows additional headroom, which accommodates a taller seat with air suspension for a more comfortable ride. Compared to lead-acid alternatives, lithium-ion batteries charge faster and more simply – no maintenance, off-gassing or watering required. The ERC-VGL can fully charge in just over an hour, and weighs less than the equivalent lead-acid powered model, reducing energy consumption for long run times in demanding applications.

 

The Yale lineup of integrated lithium-ion lift trucks also includes the award-winning ERP040VTL and ERP040VFL. The brand has won numerous awards for sustainability-friendly products, including 13 consecutive placements on a leading industry publication’s list of the top 75 green supply chain partners.

 

About the Green Good Design Award

GOOD DESIGN® is the oldest, most recognized program for design excellence. Every year, the Chicago Athenaeum and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies collaborate to present the Green GOOD DESIGN Sustainability Awards. The program honors outstanding companies that have forwarded exceptional thinking and inspired greater progress toward a healthier and more sustainable universe.

 

About Yale Lift Truck Technologies

Yale Lift Truck Technologies leverages over a century of material handling experience and substantial investment in innovation to bring some of the most advanced technology-driven lift truck solutions to market. The company offers a full line of award-winning lift trucks, including reach trucks, order pickers, turret trucks, pallet jacks and trucks, pallet stackers, tow tractors and counterbalanced forklifts, as well as powerful operator assist solutions, proven robotics and a wide range of power sources to help customers adapt to today’s demanding supply chain. Yale and its independent dealer network support these solutions with comprehensive after-sales service, parts, financing and training.

 

Yale Lift Truck Technologies is a division of Hyster-Yale Materials Handling, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Hyster-Yale Inc. (NYSE:HY) which is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio and operates globally. 

 

Contact

Brad Long

Yale Lift Truck Technologies

252-412-3652

brad.long@hyster-yale.com