Li-ion batteries have always held a lot of promise for industrial-class lifting thanks to their power, energy efficiency and quick “on-the-fly” recharging. E-VER is the first Konecranes 10-18 tonne capacity lift-truck powered with Li-ion batteries. Leveraging advances in Li-ion technology in combination with the performance and comfort expected of a Konecranes, E-VER delivers emission-free lifting with uninterrupted availability throughout working shifts. E-VER project team members Anders Nilsson and Lisa Martinsson give details about the project’s development journey and capabilities.

Electric forklifts are nothing new. But capable of lifting 10-18 tonnes? Until recently, lifting in this weight class and higher was only practical with diesel engine powered machines. The lead acid batteries used in smaller forklifts are not power-efficient enough to take on the job – the battery size and weight required for heavy industrial applications would negate any energy gains. Lead acid batteries also require longer time for charging.

Anders Nilsson, Director of R&D and Technology and Lisa Martinsson, Senior Project Manager and Program Manager for Electrification

These days, with an increasing pressure to lower CO2 emissions, more companies want an alternative to diesel. Now they have it – with the Konecranes E-VER electric forklift, powered by lithium-ion batteries to make emission-free industrial lifting possible.

GETTING SERIOUS WITH LI-ION

With the rapid advances in lithium-ion battery performance of recent years, technology had caught up to ambition for the R&D teams at Konecranes. “On these bigger machines, you need much larger batteries,” said Anders Nilsson, Director of R&D and Technology. “One of our main concerns was getting good endurance from a battery charge. Lithium-ion are more efficient because they have lower power losses and can be fast charged,” he added.

From a development perspective, the specialised battery requirements, including reuse and recycling considerations, meant the right choice of partnerships was critical. “The supplier we chose could demonstrate superior sustainability performance,” said Nilsson. And while sustainability was important, it wasn’t pursued at the expense of innovation or reputation. “We introduced a lot of new solutions never before seen on the market, such as new traction and thermal management systems. And always at the back of our minds was that we’re known for high-performing machines – It was important that E-VER still deliver the performance our customers expect from a Konecranes,” he added.

MAKING IT WORK TOGETHER

Impressively, E-VER development partly took place through a global pandemic. That raised a lot of concerns early in the process. “Our teams are all over the globe, and the project was complex,” said Lisa Martinsson, Senior Project Manager and Program Manager for Electrification. “But being forced to work digitally brought us together in a way no one could anticipate,” she added.

They also learned that sending prototypes to the remote R&D office was another strong way to unite the teams. “We sent the unit to Italy for commissioning, something we hadn’t tried before but will continue to do,” said Martinsson. “When E-VER was ready, we gathered online together to watch the first turn of the wheels. It was a big thing,” she added.

LIFTING FOR ELECTRIC FUTURE

E-VER is a game-changer for industrial-capacity lifting that will only grow into more. “We’ve just started on the electrification journey,” said Nilsson. “We have bigger machines and container handlers, and they’ll all be electric at some point. There’s a big shift in technology in our industry,” he added.

Something Martinsson looks forward to as well. “We are on a fantastic journey with a fantastic team,” she added. “It’s really fun coming to work every day knowing you’ll learn something new.”