The emergence of carbon neutrality and carbon emission peaking concepts has brought new changes to the international landscape. The focus of international competition has shifted to the control of the low-carbon technology value chain.

In the field of new energy, the high-voltage lithium battery technology enjoys broad prospects. In addition to the high energy density, its characteristics of light weight, large energy storage, high power, and no pollution make it highly sought after in the market.

As we all know, forklift is one of the industrial vehicles. As any mechanical expert knows, the R&D requirements of electric vehicles are much higher than those of electric motorcycles, and the R&D requirements of electric industrial vehicles are higher than those of electric vehicles to some extent. Considering the key role of forklift as an industrial vehicle, the high-voltage lithium battery forklift needs to have a high load balance, strong power and long battery life. However, most forklift producers are unable to make large investments to develop innovative models. Even if they do, market verification takes a lot of time. Therefore, most of the companies test their products in the market and verify the product performance in sales for product renewal, which greatly reduces the R&D costs.

Lonking had an insight into this trend three years ago and thus developed a strategy for forklifts with high-voltage lithium batteries. Since the end of 2018, China Lonking Technology Research Institute had conducted eight months of design research and demonstration, based on its long-term experience in manufacturing, its research advantages and expertise. As a result, the Lonking high-voltage lithium battery forklift project was launched on September 2, 2019, with an initial investment of 60 million yuan. After two years of innovation and R&D and one year of market verification, the Lonking forklifts with high-voltage lithium batteries featuring "three leads and nine advantages" were launched in batches at the end of August 2021!

Three leads

01 Lead in two-year innovation from scratch

In order to achieve high-quality, high-efficiency and cost-effective R&D, Lonking set up an R&D team for high-voltage control systems in the United States, and engaged senior engineering designers from Tesla, Nio, Schneider Electric, etc. to develop the control system software and charge control system. The domestic technical team conducted synchronous machine simulation design through digital 3D modeling.

In December 2019, Lonking completed the design and demonstration of the forklift charging scheme, determined the verification of the overall scheme of high-voltage electrical appliances and charging scheme, and scheduled the trial production of three prototypes by October 2020.

As of August 23, 2021, forklift A had run for 2,834 hours, during which it functioned well except for loose rim bolts and a failure of the battery management system (BMS).

As of August 23, 2021, forklift B had run for 1,553 hours, during which it functioned well except for a few program adjustments as required by the driver.

As of August 23, forklift C had run for 963 hours without any failure.

The prototype performed well under the working conditions such as transfer operation in the logistics room as well as short-distance and full-load frequent operations. It has the same excellent slope-holding and climbing functions as fuel vehicles, and meets the needs of winter use.

02 Lead in one-year verification for quality assurance

As one of the top three forklift brands, Lonking forklift is low-key and functional.

Under the business philosophy of "providing customers with good products, rather than experimenting with users", from February 2020 to July 2021, Lonking conducted two small-scale high-intensity, complex and meticulous tests to ensure that the forklift was ready for mass production and delivery.

Finally, the test result showed that it was ready for mass production and delivery.

03 Lead in listing guarantee with nine proven advantages                    

After three years of continuous improvement, Lonking forklifts with high-voltage lithium batteries were launched globally in August 2021. 

Lonking forklift, with extreme care for users, strives to be a unique "business card" of China's intelligent manufacturing.

Nine advantages

More energy-saving

All forklift brands are trying to strike a balance in terms of charging, performance and battery life of high-voltage lithium battery machines. Among them, the energy-efficient Lonking forklift enjoys high popularity.

Equipped with a 345.6V high-voltage platform, the forklift's current is smaller and the heat loss is lower. Compared with the conventional 80V voltage platform under the same conditions, the one-hour energy consumption is reduced by 12%, and the efficiency is increased by 14%.

The vehicle control unit (VCU) can intelligently schedule the lifting and walking driving systems, with low energy loss.

More efficient

Both the driving and lifting systems adopt the more efficient automotive permanent magnet synchronous motor and the space vector control system, with higher power density and motor efficiency.

The combination of large-capacity battery and fast charging technology allows all-weather and high-intensity operation.

Faster

The standard configuration of 1C super-fast charging and battery heating technologies enables the forklift to be fully charged in one hour.  

More convenient

The forklift's compatibility with electric vehicle charging piles and portable chargers makes charging easy and affordable.

The user-friendly panel layout allows the driver to grasp the forklift's motion status at a glance. The intelligent LCD display can accurately display the forklift's status information. This allows the driver and the maintainer to troubleshoot easily, reduce downtime, and increase efficiency. The special operation locking structure and side panels make the battery maintenance very convenient.

More functional

Both driving and lifting systems adopt the permanent magnet synchronous motor that can provide high torque at low speed. The combination of the motor and a large-speed-ratio gearbox makes the forklift's driving speed, slope climbing and acceleration performance comparable to those of an internal combustion forklift.

The forklift adopts a non-contact regenerative braking system, which is much simpler than the traditional braking system. Whether the driver brakes by stepping on the brake pedal, or by changing the driving direction, the motor is in a state of power generation, and its electromagnetic torque serves as a braking torque. It means that the wear of the brake disc is minimized, and the mechanical wear is greatly reduced. Moreover, the electric energy generated is sent back to charge the battery and prolong the forklift's working time.

Safer

As a user-oriented technology enterprise, Lonking always puts user's safety first, and hammers at dispelling users' concerns about the safety and quality of high-voltage lithium battery forklifts with advanced technology.

The motor, electric control, and high-voltage components have an IP67 rating of high dust-resistant and waterproof protection, and can adapt to harsh working conditions such as cold storage, heavy rain, and water-logged roads.

The electrical system has protection functions such as high-voltage interlock, insulation detection, over-voltage, over-current, and over-temperature, which can intelligently ensure the driver's safety.

The manual service disconnect (MSD) allows convenient power cut-off, making maintenance much safer.

More comfortable

Under the principle of "people-oriented", Lonking forklift embodies humanistic care.

The ergonomically optimized design greatly improves the driver's comfort and brings a comfortable operating experience.

The small-diameter steering wheel (adjustable in terms of angle) and the double-handle sedan combination switch greatly improve the driver's operating comfort.

More reliable

The special channel design of the door frame increases the visual field by 15%, making the operation more convenient.

The battery sinking design ensures the operation stability.

The small front overhang design improves the longitudinal stability, and the high-mounted rear axle structure improves the lateral stability.

More aesthetic

With professional industrial design methods, the forklift is beautiful with the sense of power.

Carbon neutrality and carbon emission peaking are closely linked with our own lives, changing our present and affecting our future. Therefore, energy saving and emission reduction is an important solution for us to build a better future.

From the R&D to the global launch of the industry-leading 345.6V high-voltage lithium battery forklift, Lonking has demonstrated its foresight and pragmatism with innovation and strength! With green and innovative technologies, Lonking is making greater contributions to building a sustainable future.