Results of the Industrial Truck Association’s annual business trends survey were disclosed last month at the association’s fall meeting in Banff, Canada. Here are some of the highlights:

“There are high expectations that U.S. manufacturers will partner with Chinese manufacturers to produce lift trucks in China,” said Dick Davidson, president of Thombert, who helped present survey results. “Chances are also good that U.S. OEMs will not only seek part suppliers in China, but that they’ll build trucks in China for that market.”

As for the impact of Chinese-made trucks on the U.S. market, feelings are mixed. For electric rider and narrow-aisle trucks, there’s been a decrease in expectation of a significant impact in the next five years. Pallet trucks and internal combustion engine trucks show a continued expectation of fairly high impact.

ITA members believe there’s a high likelihood that fuel-cell-equipped electric lift trucks will be commercially available in the United States by 2012. They’re not so convinced hybrid lift trucks in Classes 4 and 5 (internal combustion trucks) will be readily available by then, however.

Aurelio Carinci of Exide Technologies said although it looks like fuel cells will make an appearance in the next few years, he doesn’t see them gaining significant market share right away.

“Today they’re four to five times the cost of industrial batteries,” he said. “There are great strides being made to educate the user, and that’s what will make the technology take off. It will be very effective in Class 1 and 2 vehicles as costs come down.”

Lift truck suppliers seem to think an international standard for fast charging will be in place in five years, but they believe opportunity charging will garner a more significant share of the market. Fast charging may eventually represent approximately 12 to 13% of the total market, they predicted, while opportunity charging will represent 21 to 24%.