(The following research is written by American counterpart Anton Zhukov. China BSLBATT Battery supplements relevant sales data and all the pictures. In the European and American markets, the development of forklift lithium batteries is relatively stable. Research on various brands of forklift lithium batteries to control technology, quality and service Pay more attention to the feedback from the US market. The price of forklift lithium batteries in the North American market is generally 2-3 times higher than that in the Chinese market. The battery structure and safety protection measures are more stringent. We combine this report with the research content of BSLBATT Battery. With the help of American counterparts’ articles, we compile our content, hoping to give some inspiration to forklift lithium battery counterparts. Several forklift lithium battery players in North America each sell about 30 million US dollars a year. According to their expectations, in the future In the 2-3 years, the budget scale is between 60 million and 80 million US dollars, and 1-2 forklift lithium battery companies hope to become the leader of the unicorn market segment)
The main factor causing the growth of the global lithium battery market is the increase in the number of battery-powered equipment applications and the demand for clean energy. Various industries, especially electric vehicles and energy storage systems industries, have created ever-increasing demand. Continued research and innovation in the application of lithium batteries is expected to provide opportunities for further growth. In the past decade, industrial lithium batteries have become more and more popular in the United States. Lithium power batteries are used in many industries, including material handling equipment, defense and aerospace: in medical, telecommunications, and data centers; used in marine and energy storage applications; heavy mining and construction equipment.
This survey will cover a part of this big market: batteries for material handling equipment (MHE) such as forklifts and pallet trucks.
MHE (Material Handling Equipment) Lithium Battery Segment Market
The industrial battery part of MHE includes various types of forklifts and lifting equipment, as well as some adjacent departments, such as airport ground support equipment (GSE), industrial cleaning equipment (sweeper and washing truck), tractors, sightseeing vehicles, etc.
The MHE market segment is very different from other lithium battery applications such as automobiles, public transportation, and other on- and off-highway electric vehicles.
· Due to the widespread use of solid tires, forklifts usually have to withstand high vibrations. These requirements are more stringent than the design of pneumatic tires.
· MHE works in multiple shifts of 18-20 hours a day, usually in extreme ambient temperatures (in some cases very hot, and cold storage and freezer internal operations are very cold).
· Forklifts seldom leave the work site facilities, and are convenient to use power and charging stations.
· For many unique forklift types, a high level of customization is required, resulting in lower output for each battery model.
· The adoption rate of high-quality lithium battery technology is still low, which is why many MHE dealers and maintenance companies do not provide lithium battery services. This also determines that the battery manufacturer's own service network is so important in this field.
Scale and growth of lithium battery forklift battery market
According to the Industrial Vehicle Association (ITA), about 65% of the forklifts currently sold are electric (the rest are driven by internal combustion engines). In other words, two-thirds of new material handling equipment is battery-powered.
At present, lithium battery technology has gained share from the existing lead-acid technology in the United States and Canada, and has not yet reached a scale. It is estimated that the sales of new industrial batteries account for 7% to 10% of the total sales, and they have developed from zero growth in just 5-6 years.
The advantages of lithium batteries and lead-acid batteries have been tested and verified by major companies in all industries, including material handling business: logistics and 3PL, retail, manufacturing, paper and packaging, metal, wood, food and beverages, refrigeration, and distribution of medical supplies. Industry experts are speculating on the growth rate in the next few years (estimated compound annual growth rate of 27%), but everyone agrees that the adoption of lithium batteries will continue to accelerate, which is similar to what we have seen in the passenger EV market (by similar Lithium battery technical support) is similar. By 2028, lithium batteries may account for 48% of all new forklift batteries.
Lead-acid battery technology for electric forklifts has a history of more than 100 years. No wonder electric forklifts are (and still are) built around lead-acid batteries, which determines the size of the power pack and the overall design of the forklift. The main features of lead-acid technology are low voltage (24-48V), high current and the weight of the battery. In most cases, the latter is used as the configuration part of the counterweight to balance the load of the fork.
MHE continues to focus on lead acid, which determines the engineering design of equipment, sales and service channels, and other details of the market. However, the conversion of lithium batteries has begun and has proven its potential to make material handling more efficient and sustainable. With economic and sustainability factors driving the shift in lithium battery technology, the transformation has begun. Many original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), including Toyota, Hyster, Yale, Jungheinrich and others have launched their lithium battery powered forklifts.
This survey covers some of the most well-known brands in the United States and Canada, which compete for the growing share of lithium-ion forklift batteries in North and South America. These are the 8 lithium battery forklift battery brands that promote the adoption of lithium battery technology by customers and forklift manufacturers (OEMs).
· BSLBATT
· Electrovaya
· Flux Power
· Green Cubes
· Navitas
· OneCharge
· Stromcore
· Triathlon
All lithium ion battery suppliers have discussed the advantages of lithium ion batteries and lead-acid batteries: the fleet running time is extended, the operating efficiency is fully improved, the life cycle is extended by 2 to 3 times, the daily maintenance is zero, the service life cost is low, and the pollutants Or the exhaust volume is zero, etc.
Several companies offer battery models suitable for various applications, such as working in cold storage areas.
There are two main types of lithium ion batteries on the market. The main difference lies in the cathode material: lithium iron phosphate battery (lithium FePO4) and lithium battery nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC). The former is generally cheaper, safer, and more stable, while the latter has a higher energy density per kilogram.
Research standards
This survey covers several basic criteria: company history and product line, number of models and OEM compatibility, product features, service network and other information.
The company’s history and product line illustrate its core expertise and brand’s focus on specific market segments, or, conversely, the lack of such focus. The number of models is a good proxy for product availability-it tells you the likelihood of finding a compatible lithium battery model for a particular material handling equipment (and how quickly a given company can develop new models). The integration of batteries with forklift OEMs and chargers is critical to the plug-and-play approach, which is an important requirement in many applications. The CAN protocol of some brands is not yet fully transparent. Product features and other information describe the differences and commonalities of battery brands.
Our review does not include the manufacturer's "integrated" lithium battery brands, which are sold together with forklifts. Regardless of the battery capacity, buyers of these products cannot choose the battery capacity.
The survey did not include some imported Asian brands because they have not yet established an important customer base in the US market. Although Asian products offer very attractive prices, they fail to meet expectations on very important criteria: maintenance, technical support and service. The lack of industry integration with OEM manufacturers, distributors, and service centers prevents these brands from becoming viable solutions for serious buyers, although they are indeed a good choice for small or temporary operations. Despite the rapid development of lithium batteries in China's forklift market, China's forklift lithium batteries still need to improve their quality and provide long-lasting service operations and brand continuity in the strategy of going global.
All lithium-ion batteries are sealed, clean and safe. This is especially important when dealing with food, medicine, and electronics. However, choosing a lithium-ion battery can be quite complicated.
The brands are listed in alphabetical order.
With the gradual entry of BSLBATT Battery into the American market, Chinese Battery brand BSLBATT also occupies a part of the Market in America.
Manufacturing locations: Huizhou and Hefei, China
History: BSLBATT was established in 2003, initially researching lithium-ion battery technology, and in 2012 began to provide energy solutions for the material handling industry. Since 2012, the company has been producing lithium batteries for industrial forklifts.
Product line: Lithium-ion batteries for material handling equipment: forklifts of 1, 2, and 3 categories; automatic traction vehicles (AGV); sweepers; golf carts and fixed and transportable energy storage systems. BSLBATT is a “change ambassador” for the international implementation of the new technology. The company continuously invests in technological development. It has been exploring new chemical compositions that could further reduce the cost of the product while improving performance in order to continue replacing traditional lead -acid batteries. BSLBATT lithium-ion battery systems are built with LFP cells, which have become the benchmark of reliability, longevity, and safety.
Model: There are more than 950 models of lithium-ion batteries manufactured by BSLBATT. The output voltage of the battery is 24, 36, 48, 80 or 122 volts.
Serviceability: remote troubleshooting and programming; standard replaceable BMS and Module
Can be integrated: Hyster-Yale Group, Toyota Material Handling, Combilift, Aisle-Master
Customization category: The modular approach enables storage capacity to be customized according to the specific requirements of the application. Together with the host forklift and charger, the shape and size, voltage, capacity and communication protocol of the battery box are highly customized.
Service network and product after-sales support: China, United States, United Kingdom, Mexico, Brazil, Poland, Italy, France, Spain, Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, Israel, Thailand, Singapore, Russia, etc.
Data-based products and infrastructure: BSLBATT is a cloud-based remote monitoring system that can track the battery operation of forklifts in real time.
Other information: full kit (battery and compatible charger). Cold storage solutions.
Sales in 2020: 14.5 million USD (close to 100 million RMB in sales)
Flux Power
Manufacturing location: California, USA
History: Flux Power was founded in 2009. Initially, the company produced electric car batteries, and since 2014, the company has produced lithium ion batteries for industrial use.
Product line: Lithium-ion batteries for industrial forklifts and airport ground support equipment.
Number of models: Flux Power provides 6 types of LFP (Lithium Phosphate Iron) chemical batteries for installing Class I, Class II and Class III forklift batteries. Flux Power offers 24V, 36V, 48V and 80V options for all models.
Can be integrated: Clark, Crown (Class III), Toyota MH
Custom category: not provided
Service network and product after-sales support: not provided
Data-based products and infrastructure: The "SKY BMS" data system collects data from a single battery through the factory’s Wi-Fi, and then sends it to the cloud via a cellular connection. Customers can access their data through the web interface.
Main function: The elevator package X series battery is designed as a modular system, which contains up to 4 batteries, each of which contains up to 7kWh of power. This allows the battery system to be configured according to the needs of the user and the MHE application (starting at 7kW).
Other information: full kit (battery and compatible charger). Cold storage solutions. Flux Power claims that it produces more than 9,000 batteries in this field.
Sales in 2020: US$17 million (over 100 million yuan in sales), and it is expected to reach US$30 million in 2021.
Manufacturing location: Indiana, USA
History: GreenCubes was founded in 1986. Initially, the company produced lead-acid battery chargers. In 2008, the company began to produce lithium-ion batteries for medical vehicles, and in 2013 transitioned to lithium-ion batteries for electric forklifts.
Product lines: industrial forklifts, airport ground support equipment, medical vehicles and various medical base power subsystems.
Model number: The company provides 22 models of lithium FePO4 (LFP) batteries for Class I, Class II and Class III forklifts. Green Cubes battery voltage options are 24, 36, 48, 80 or 96 volts.
Integration: Hyster-Yale Group
Custom category: Green Cubes can be designed to integrate multiple interfaces, including USB, Ethernet, CAN, I2C, SPI, and Wi-Fi to communicate with system components and external software. The customer data interface can also be customized.
Service network and product after-sales support: not provided
Data-based products and infrastructure: The "Maestro IoT" data system collects data from a single battery via Wi-Fi during the charging process, and then sends it to the cloud. Customers can access their data through a web application.
Main function: Multi-voltage models allow the use of the same battery in forklift models with different voltage specifications (36 or 48V).
Other information: full kit (battery and compatible charger). Green Cubes provides its patented charging solution, which can charge its lithium-ion battery within 1 hour. Cold storage solutions.
Manufacturing location: Ontario, Canada
History: Electrovaya was founded in 1996, initially researching lithium-ion battery technology, and in 2002 began to provide energy solutions for electric vehicles. Since 2017, the company has been producing lithium batteries for industrial forklifts.
Product line: Lithium-ion batteries for material handling equipment: forklifts of 1, 2, and 3 categories; automatic guided vehicles (AMV); and fixed and transportable energy storage systems. Electrovaya's stationary energy storage system is used by Scottish and Southern Energy Corporation and Ryerson University in downtown Toronto. Electrovaya uses NMC chemical monomer and patented ceramic separator.
Model: There are more than 30 models of lithium-ion batteries manufactured by Electrovaya. The output voltage of the battery is 24, 36, 48 or 80 volts.
Can be integrated: Raymond and Toyota Material Handling
Customization category: The modular approach enables storage capacity to be customized according to the specific requirements of the application.
Service network and product after-sales support: not provided
Data-based products and infrastructure: Evision is a cloud-based remote monitoring system that can track the battery operation of forklift trucks in real time.
Other information: full kit (battery and compatible charger). Cold storage solutions.
Sales in 2020: 14.5 million USD (close to 100 million RMB in sales)
Manufacturing location: Illinois, USA
History: Founded in 2011, Navitas is a manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries. In 2019, East Penn, a manufacturer of AGM lead-acid batteries, acquired a majority stake in Navitas. Since then, Navitas' lithium batteries used in material handling equipment have been sold under the Deka Ready Power brand: Deka is the leading brand of lead-acid batteries owned by Eastern Pennsylvania.
Product line: Lithium-ion batteries for forklifts, telecommunications and military applications.
Number of models: The company provides 28 models of lithium FePO4 (LFP) batteries for Class I, Class II and Class III forklifts. Voltage options: 24, 36 or 48 volts.
CAN integration: Toyota MH, Hyster Group
Service network and product after-sales support: All products are supported by an extensive North American sales and service network, which has been factory-trained to meet all specific lithium battery regulatory requirements.
Data-based products and infrastructure: not provided
Model number: Navitas provides 30 kinds of lithium ion (LFP chemical) batteries for MHE. This number includes various battery box sizes, and output voltage options are 24, 36, and 48 volts.
Other information: Navitas provides customized batteries using lithium FePO4 or NMC chemistry. Full kit (battery and compatible charger). Cold storage solutions.
OneCharge
Manufacturing location: California, USA.
History: In 2014, OneCharge began operating in the lithium-ion battery market. Its manufacturing plant opened in Silicon Valley (San Jose) in 2016. In 2018, the company moved to a larger factory in Irvine, California, and to Garden Grove, California in 2021, this time three times its manufacturing space.
Product line: concentrate on material handling equipment. Lithium-ion batteries for Class I, Class II and Class III industrial forklifts and lifts: heavy-duty cleaning equipment; automated guided vehicles (AV); airport ground support equipment: and other off-road vehicles (tugboats, troop carriers).
Model: OneCharge provides all 5 types of forklift batteries for almost every industrial forklift manufacture and model for various applications. There are more than 600 battery models in its product line. OneCharge provides customized batteries for specific customer needs and applications, including special equipment with non-standard battery compartments. The output voltage ranges from 24 volts to 144 volts.
Development time to market: at least 5 weeks
Can be integrated: Combilift, Aisle-Master, Hyster Yale Group
The charger can be integrated: Ecotec brand industrial charger
Serviceability: remote troubleshooting and programming; standard replaceable BMS
Customization category: together with the host forklift and charger, the shape and size, voltage, capacity and communication protocol of the battery box are highly customized.
Service network and product after-sales support: a nationwide North American sales and service network.
Data-based products and infrastructure: The OneCharge management system collects data from a single battery via the factory’s Wi-Fi, and then sends it to the cloud via a cellular connection. Customers can access their data through the web interface.
Other information: full kit (battery and compatible charger). Refrigeration and sealing solutions.
Manufacturing location: Ontario, Canada
History: Founded in 2016, Stromcore is a manufacturer of lithium ion batteries.
Product line: Lithium-ion batteries for industrial forklifts and forklifts. Stromcore uses NMC chemical batteries in its batteries. It offers voltage options of 36, 48, 72, 80 and 96 volts.
Model number: not provided
Can be integrated: Hyster-Yale Group
Custom category: The battery produced by Stromcore is composed of each module, and the capacity of each module is 100Ah. Battery cells can be built from these modules, just like using Lego bricks.
Service network and product after-sales support: not provided
Data-based products and infrastructure: Stromcore's battery management system reports real-time data to the cloud. Real-time data is monitored through a web-based portal to maintain complete visibility. Updates and diagnosis are performed remotely. Optional GPS can be used in large warehouses to track forklift movements.
Other information: Stromcore claims that the modular battery structure allows the capacity to be increased to 2000 Ah. Full kit (battery and compatible charger). Cold storage solutions.
Manufacturing location: Germany
History: Triathlon battery solutions was established in 2016. In August 2019, Jungheinrich and Triathlon Holding jointly established JT Energy Systems, a joint venture focused on the production and recycling of lithium-ion battery systems. Jungheinrich holds 70% of the joint venture, and Triathlon Holding holds the remaining 30%.
Product line: Lead-acid and lithium-ion NMC chemical batteries for material handling and cleaning equipment.
Model number: The company provides lithium-ion batteries with an output voltage of 24, 36, 48, 72 or 80 volts.
Can be integrated: Crown Forklift Class II and Class III products, MCFA Mitsubishi North America
Charger can be integrated: not provided
Service network and product after-sales support: not provided
Data-based products and infrastructure: not provided
Other information: full kit (battery and compatible charger). Triathlon's special charging solution allows up to 8 lithium-ion batteries to be charged simultaneously. Cold storage solutions. Triathlon battery solutions also provide lead-acid batteries, even if they acknowledge the advantages of lithium-ion batteries, such as opportunity to recharge, longevity, zero maintenance, etc.
BSLBATT is one of the largest developers, manufacturers, and integrators of lithium-ion batteries for lift trucks in China. BSLBATT supports and guides our distributors to be NO. 1 in the Replacement of Lead Acid Batteries with LiFePO4 Forklift Batteries in the local market. The company sells large quantities of industrial batteries for various equipment. It successfully collaborates with several OEM market leaders.
BSLBATT is a “change ambassador” for the international implementation of the new technology. The company continuously invests in technological development. It has been exploring new chemical compositions that could further reduce the cost of the product while improving performance in order to continue replacing traditional lead-acid batteries. BSLBATT lithium-ion battery systems are built with LFP cells, which have become the benchmark of reliability, longevity, and safety.
