Yale Wins Good Design Award

The Chicago Athenaeum recognized Yale with a 2018 GOOD DESIGN Award, for its ERC120VH four-wheel counterbalanced lift truck with a unique power solution – lithium-ion power available as an OEM option from the factory – not an aftermarket option.

The ERC120VH counterbalance electric sit-down is the most recent, highest-capacity model in the Yale product line to offer the flexibility of lithium-ion battery power, an option first introduced on the Yale MPB045VG walkie pallet truck. The ERC120VH with lithium-ion battery enables operations to leave behind the additional costs and maintenance associated with traditional lead-acid batteries and reap performance and charging benefits.

“Customer interest in a variety of power sources dictates that they not just be available as third-party retrofits or on only select models. This drives manufacturers to offer the flexibility of a variety of OEM power options across a comprehensive line of lift trucks,” says Steven LaFevers, Vice President, Motive Power and Telematics, Yale Materials Handling Corporation. “The counterbalanced sit-down truck with lithium-ion power from the factory is a real-world example of this promise, and is rightly recognized with a GOOD DESIGN Award.”

Yale markets a full line of materials handling lift truck products and services, including electric, gas, LP-gas and diesel powered lift trucks; narrow aisle, very narrow aisle and motorized hand trucks. Yale has a comprehensive service offering including Yale Vision wireless asset management, fleet management, Yale service, parts, financing and training.

The Yale ERC120VH with lithium-ion battery goes through the same demanding 15-day environment tests as Yale internal combustion engine-powered trucks, handling everything from extreme temperatures to grades as high as 30 percent. Ergonomic design features help keep operators as productive as possible, offering maximum visibility, smooth and precise mast positioning, low-effort steering and easy-to-use controls.