Designed to reduce fuel costs and CO2 emissions by half, the Toyota lift truck is said to deliver operational performance of an equivalent diesel-powered lift truck. The Geneo-Hybrid 8,000-pound counterbalanced design combines a 2.5-liter diesel engine, electric motor and a nickel-metal hydride battery. Toyota says the timeline for launching the hybrid in the United States has not been decided.
The design 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 electrical 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 electrical energy from the battery. The nickel hydride battery is recharged by the engine's operation and does not require plug-in recharging, making it an ideal candidate for multi-shift operations. Toyota says the truck's efficiency is further boosted by the integrated use of regenerated energy recovered when the accelerator is released and during switch back operation.
Toyota's experience with hybrid vehicles includes more than 1.7 million Prius automobiles produced since 1997.
