The revolution is called ETV 216i

LogiMAT2018, first day of the trade fair, 9.30 a.m.: the excitement is building. A world premiere is imminent! Another 10 seconds, 9, 8, ... the synthesizer of the countdown becomes more and more insistent. Yellow spotlights flash around the fog-shrouded highlight. 3, 2, 1 to go - and there it is: the ETV 216i, the world's first reach truck with a permanently installed lithium-ion battery, is unveiled to the public for the first time.

"It was a real wow experience for the visitors - just like for all Jungheinrich colleagues and test customers who saw the truck for the first time during development," recalls Fabien Tozzi, Product Manager Reach Trucks at Jungheinrich. "The design is revolutionary at first glance because no compromises were made."

Permanently installed lithium-ion battery

This was possible because Jungheinrich achieved what no other reach truck manufacturer has managed to do so far with this truck, which is known internally as the "New Concept": to permanently integrate a lithium-ion battery and thus create more space for improved ergonomics and many more options for optimized performance. While it was previously possible to replace lead-acid batteries with lithium-ion batteries of the same size in order to take advantage of their benefits, the ETV 216i is a completely new product.

"The time is ripe"

Michael von Forstner is also talking about a revolution - and that means something. After all, the current head of Jungheinrich's lithium-ion program has been with the company for over 20 years. He has never before described a new product as revolutionary: "With the ETV 216i, we are setting just as big a milestone as we did when we were the first to install three-phase AC technology - now the standard in the industry."

Von Forstner remembers how the current innovation came about: Back in 2011, Jungheinrich set an exclamation mark with the first lithium-ion truck ready for series production, the EJE 112i electric pedestrian pallet truck. "Even back then, we recognized that the future of technology lies in an integrated design," says von Forstner. "The time is now ripe, the prices for lithium-ion technology have fallen - now we are daring to enter the market with a larger model, the reach truck."

The fact that lithium-ion batteries can now be modeled more flexibly and do not necessarily have to have a square format like lead-acid batteries meant that designers and developers were able to question everything that was thought to be the law thanks to the space gained in the "New Concept" project. "What has been standard for every industrial truck for decades - a huge lead-acid battery with a large opening for changing - is suddenly no longer necessary," says von Forstner. The quick and intermediate charging option makes changing the battery unnecessary. This is the first time that the vehicle has been developed around the driver and the functions, not around the battery block.

Close customer contact

In order to precisely meet market requirements, Jungheinrich brought 15 customers on board, from the first design sketch through to frequent field tests: Drivers, logistics managers and purchasing decision-makers. "Everyone involved in the project identified extremely strongly with the new product, and you could see a sparkle in the drivers' eyes," says Tozzi. For two years, the 20 or so Jungheinrich project participants met in daily meetings, the mechanical engineer reports on the development methodology, in which a new innovative project dynamic was demonstrated: "There was surprisingly little paper in the 'New Concept'," says Tozzi. "Ideas were tried out and implemented quickly."

The result of this high level of commitment: completely new ergonomics with more foot space, a wider seat, more space for the legs and an optimum view of the wheel arms and the load. "For the driver, working on the ETV 216i is a completely new experience," says Tozzi. And this applies to drivers of all sizes, as the ETV 216i offers extensive horizontal and vertical adjustment options for the seat, armrest, steering wheel and hydraulic control lever. Details such as the optimized SNAP function, which allows the driver to position the forks automatically, or self-programmable function buttons also ensure greater comfort.

Slim roof struts, an optional panoramic roof and optional DayLED daytime running lights - it's not just the improved active and passive visibility features that make the ETV 216i particularly safe. "The most frequent accidents happen when getting in and out of the car," says Tozzi. Two hand grips are designed to remedy this, as are a large step and the drive wheel cover as foot protection, as well as various other protective measures.