On April 29, 2024, 75 award winners awaited the presentation of their iF Design Award in Gold at the famous Friedrichstadt-Palast in Berlin. The 132-member jury, made up of independent design experts from 20 countries, had selected the winners in a rigorous two-stage selection process over the past few weeks. The new Toyota BT Staxio SSI200D electric pallet truck with driver's platform, integrated lithium-ion battery and double-decker is one of the award winners.

"Much smaller and more maneuverable than a forklift truck, this electric-powered stacker is a masterpiece of ergonomic design. Well-resolved details and the subtle use of curved shapes and colors are an enrichment for this highly industrial product and also make it extremely user-friendly," was the jury's explanation for the gold award.

Energy-efficient lithium-ion technology

The BT Staxio SSI200D is one of three models from Toyota's S-series, which was presented to the public for the first time at the Logimat trade fair in Stuttgart in 2023. These warehouse trucks focus on the design around the operator and the modular Toyota battery system. Thanks to their compact and lightweight design and integrated lithium-ion technology, the new models boast industry-leading ergonomics and energy efficiency.

The electric low lift pallet trucks (BT Levio LSI200) and high lift pallet trucks (BT Staxio SSI200D and SSI160LN) with driver's platform are suitable for intensive long-distance operations and handling goods in busy warehouses, for example. Thanks to the compact chassis size and short turning radius, the lithium-ion forklifts can be maneuvered easily in confined spaces or narrow aisles. Toyota's BT Levio LSI200 electric pallet truck had already impressed the participants of the materialfluss PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 2024, who honored the vehicle with third place in the "Industrial trucks and accessories" category.

The BT Staxio SSI200D, winner of the iF Design Award in Gold, is the latest result of Toyota Material Handling's Radical Energy Design project (RED). At the Design Center in Mjölby, the product designers and engineers have taken advantage of the possibilities of the modular Toyota battery system to design industrial trucks without a traditional battery compartment. The individual battery modules are integrated into the truck, enabling completely new truck designs.

With the development of the BT Levio LWI160 electric pallet truck, the RED project was turned into reality for the first time and directly honored with the iF Design Award 2020. The new S-series of warehouse trucks continues on this path, while Toyota's designers and engineers are already working on further trucks that utilize the new possibilities of the modular battery system in truck design.

Concept study wins award

With its compact and simplified design, built-in artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud collaboration, the Urban Runner concept study, which won the iF Design Award, is the perfect team player in logistics. Camera technologies, edge computing and AI make it possible to teach the delivery vehicle to recognize people and objects, make independent decisions and prioritize actions. The device can therefore assess situations and react accordingly in real time, enabling a smooth distribution process from the warehouse to the end customer.

The Urban Runner is part of the A.I. TeamDelivery concept, where logistics meets mobility. The concept reflects the future vision of Toyota Material Handling towards more sustainable, more productive and safer automated logistics processes.