Yale Materials Handling Corporation is honored to accept a 2016 GOOD DESIGN award for the MPB045VG walkie pallet truck with lithium-ion battery, announced at the GOOD DESIGN gala in New York. Since its inception in 1950, the GOOD DESIGN awards remain one of the oldest, most recognized programs for design excellence worldwide.
 
The MPB045VG walkie pallet truck with lithium-ion battery offers the first commercially available Underwriters Laboratories (UL) recognized lithium-ion battery pack in the forklift industry. The lithium-ion powered walkie was selected based on its extended run times, fast and convenient charging capabilities, exceptional maneuverability and reduced environmental impact.
 
Compared to lead-acid batteries, the new lithium-ion option is designed to last five times longer, drastically reducing downtime, expensive battery replacements and the associated landfill waste. It can also be charged repeatedly to 100 percent capacity without an equalization charge, allowing for opportunity charging without any negative memory effects.
 
“Today’s operations must do more with less. They have to be more productive and house larger inventories while using less space and reducing environmental impact,” says Mick McCormick, vice president of warehouse solutions, Yale Materials Handling Corporation. “The lithium-ion powered walkie pallet truck is designed to meet these demands, providing a solution that is cutting-edge, yet very practical – ideal for the challenges facing today’s supply chain operations.”
 
The 2016 GOOD DESIGN Awards are presented by the Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design, the European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies to designers and manufacturers who have successfully undertaken the design challenge to produce the best and most outstanding design products. The 2016 winners were selected from several thousand submissions from around the globe. Among this year’s winners are Apple, Inc., Google Inc., Nike Inc., BMW AG., Audi AG., The Coca-Cola Company, and Hewlett Packard Inc.