Toyota has won iF Design Awards for three of its materials handlers: the 8-Series 3.5- to 8-tonne engine-powered counterbalance forklift, the BT Levio P-series electric pallet truck — both of which are available in Australia — and the Traigo 80 4.0-5.0-tonne electric forklift.
Since 2009 six Toyota products have received the highly regarded award from iF International Forum Design, based in Hanover, Germany.
A 53-member jury comprised of international experts from 20 nations met in late January to assess the 4,783 entries submitted in 16 categories by 2,102 participants.
“Winning international design awards like this is testament to the thought that goes into all our material handling equipment, ensuring we offer not only the most reliable and durable products, but also the most operator-friendly,” Toyota Material Handling Australia executive vice president and chief operating officer Steve Takacs says.
Toyota’s 8-Series forklift range, launched this time last year, has already received a Special Mention in the German Design Awards (the first forklift to do so) and has won Japan’s Good Design Award.
The company says the highlights of the range include a new 65kW electronic fuel injection-equipped 3.7-litre LPG engine offering fuel savings of up to 20 per cent compared with the superseded model, plus safety features including Toyota’s System of Active Stability, which helps reduce the likelihood of lateral roll-overs.
“Other features of the Toyota 8-Series 3.5 to 8-tonne forklift range include a redesigned chassis with fully stamped steel plate construction and ergonomic improvements like increased floor space and a larger step,” the company says, adding that TMHA has been the overall Australian forklift market leader for the last five years and has led the national internal-combustion counter-balance forklift market for 28 years.
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