Hyster option lets end-users select battery type

Power Cellect, an optional package available on 27 of its electric forklift models. (Photo: Hyster)

Hyster Company has launched Power Cellect, an optional package available on 27 of its electric forklift models. It allows to switch power sources in electric trucks between traditional lead acid and low-maintenance battery solutions such as thin plate pure lead (TPPL) and lithium-ion.

The company said the solution provides a straightforward path for customers to change the truck’s battery type, and it is effective for fleets transitioning to different battery solutions over time as well as for equipment that will be used for different applications with varied battery availability over the course of its working life.

Hyster previously offered a lithium-ion ready option on electric trucks, which enabled a smooth switch between lead acid and lithium-ion batteries. The company said Power Cellect expands on the compatibility of lithium-ion ready by adding TPPL batteries to the mix and uses CANbus for communication between a qualified battery and the truck. Once the battery is changed out, truck settings can be easily changed to switch power sources.

“Whether sustainability goals, regulations compliance or other forces are driving electrification decisions, the common thread is that operations need flexibility. Power Cellect avoids locking operations into a single power option for the life of their equipment, and eliminates the complications and compromises of third-party setups,” said James Nielson, senior business product manager for Motive Power and Electrification, Hyster. “Facilitating this fluidity across battery types is the latest example of Hyster powering possibilities for forklift fleets working in all our customers’ applications, even the toughest, most demanding jobs.”

The Power Cellect logo. (Photo: Hyster)

The company said Power Cellect also offers major functional benefits. The truck-side battery early warning system includes lift interrupt and traction performance cutback capabilities, and the truck’s battery discharge indicator (BDI) accurately portrays state of charge across approved battery types, eliminating the need for secondary displays and indicators. An internal battery protection function triggers a controlled shutdown when the battery reaches complete discharge, and operations can view additional battery data, such as battery state of health and lifetime discharge, when the Hyster Tracker telemetry system is added.

Hyster Company offers 130 lift truck models configured for gasoline, LPG, diesel and electric power, with one of the widest capacity ranges in the industry — from 2,000 to 105,000 lb.