The army is making a major sustainability move by fully switching to electric lift and warehouse trucks from Linde. It has already been phasing out the use of diesel lift trucks in recent years. Through the deal with Linde importer Motrac Intern Transport, which comprises a total of almost 700 lift and warehouse trucks, Defence is accelerating its move towards a greener and more efficient logistics infrastructure.
The deal follows an extensive tender process, which concluded on 3 October with the signing of a cooperation agreement between Defence and Motrac. The agreement was signed by Brigadier General Dick van Broekhoeven, director of materials & services of the Royal Netherlands Army, and Geurt de Groot, managing director of Motrac Intern Transport.
The lift and warehouse trucks are used not only by the Royal Army, but also by the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. Besides electric forklifts, the deal also includes electric pallet trucks, stackers and reach trucks. A total of 700 material handling vehicles are involved, of which Motrac will also provide maintenance for the next ten years.
Linde Xi series
Switching completely to electric lift and warehouse trucks will reduce the army'sCO2 emissions. That Defence has turned to Linde is not surprising. The forklift manufacturer from Germany started introducing electric forklifts five years ago that can replace existing diesel forklifts in all cases - indoors and outdoors.
This was followed five years ago by the introduction of Linde X models for the 2.0-3.5-tonne segment, then for the 3.5-2.0-tonne segment. In early November, Linde added new models for the 1.0 to 2.0-tonne segment. The design of this Xi series is entirely based on the use of lithium-ion batteries, resulting in more foot space and a lower step for drivers.
