Komatsu has developed and unveiled a concept machine for an electric forklift powered by sodium-ion batteries. The concept machine is ready to start proof of concept (PoC) tests at job sites beginning in March 2024. This marks Komatsu's venture into equipping machines with sodium-ion batteries and installing these batteries on forklifts. The forthcoming site trials aim to validate the usage based on the new battery's performance and its characteristics with an eye toward future commercial production.
Komatsu has been working to advance product electrification based on the needs of actual worksites, offering not only electric forklifts powered by standard batteries but also models featuring maintenance-free lead-acid batteries and those equipped with lithium-ion batteries for heavy-load operations. Despite these advancements, electrification faces challenges, especially in worksites with shortened, light-load operations. These job sites often have to contend with the high initial costs of electric machines that often lead to the selection of engine-driven forklifts.
These newly equipped sodium-ion batteries, despite their lower energy density, support rapid charging, enabling continuous operation through frequent recharges. Their long cycle life (the number of times the battery can be repeatedly charged and discharged) also prolongs the interval before battery replacement becomes necessary, offering the potential to reduce running costs. Moreover, the use of sodium, which is abundant on earth, ensures stable supply and the prospect of cost reductions in the future.
Based on these characteristics of sodium-ion batteries, Komatsu has developed this concept machine to provide an appropriate option for worksites with shortened, light-load operations. The concept machine is equipped with a sodium-ion battery pack developed by Shanghai Hirano Environment Technology Co., Ltd., using sodium-ion battery cells manufactured by Jiangsu Highstar Battery Manufacturing Co., Ltd. These battery packs are designed for Komatsu's 1.5-ton electric forklifts. Expanding the range of electric forklifts will accelerate the electrification of all types of worksites, aiding in the reduction of environmental impacts and the achievement of carbon neutrality.
