Hyster pushes for forklift power studies

According to Steven LaFevers, vice president at Hyster-Yale Group, there is a critical blind spot in many customers’ fleet considerations.

“I would guess eight out of 10 customers do not undertake a comprehensive, ROI-driven assessment of their power needs,” he said. “Five years from now power studies will be common, and customers will choose the power source – whether lead-acid battery, lithium-ion battery, hydrogen fuel cell, internal combustion or some mix of these– based on the application or department.”

LaFevers compared the concept to telematics adoption. Five years ago, many forklift salespeople struggled to pitch telematics, and might simply bring along their battery rep of choice to visit a customer facility.

“Now we’re acting as a brand-agnostic consultant to help the customer find the best power option,” he said.

At the Balyo booth (N6951), Hyster also showcased equipment outfitted with Balyo technology that converts standard Hyster forklifts into dual-mode, semi-autonomous mobile robots.