Kalmar rolled out its first-ever li-ion-equipped electric “medium” forklift at last week’s ACT Expo – but Kalmar’s medium isn’t like your medium. Kalmar’s medium forklift trucks can hoist up to 40,000 lbs. And their biggest models can lift more than 4x that. (!) This week’s news focused on the newest Kalmar medium electric forklift. Like the company’s existing lead-acid-powered offerings, the new Kalmar medium offers lifting capacities up to 18 tons and is designed for demanding material handling applications across industries including forestry, metals, logistics, and heavy industry. The equipment can be configured with a wide range of masts, forks, carriages and special attachments tailored to specific operational needs enabling it to handle diverse load types including lumber, steel coils, and bulk materials – but adds lithium-ion batteries that allow significantly faster 2 hr. charging times that support opportunity charging between shifts for even less operational downtime. The new li-ion batteries and faster charging times allow Kalmar to deliver a product that their global customer base has been asking for, while the company’s new Thermal Management System …