Toyota has launched a battery electric forklift series with three breakthrough design features. The new 7FB Series battery electric range of 1.0 to 3.5 tonne payload models has an alternating current (AC) motor system, an under-floor battery and Toyota's exclusive System of Active Stability (SAS). Toyota expects the new AC controlled 7FB to contribute significantly in lifting its share of the traditional battery electric market. The design objective was to create a forklift that goes beyond the existing concept of battery powered forklifts. The improved performance of the 7FB now rivals the traditional internal combustion (IC) engine market). No longer are lack of speed or acceleration an argument for preferring IC models. Toyota has now blended its electronic and forklift technologies to create a unique 800 ampere metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) module, exclusively for use in its industrial equipment. Toyota's SAS forklift stability control has already been proved on Toyota's 7-Series internal combustion models. It is the first system in the world that monitors and controls forklift truck stability through a combination of advanced sensors linked to an onboard computer. These three design breakthroughs provide significantly improved performance, operating feel, entry/exit and safety. Improvements in the speed of forward/reverse direction changes, travel speed and lifting speed - by up to 30 percent for full-load lifting on the 1.5 tonne model - yield strong productivity increases. Toyota IED general manager Mike Bennett said the change to an AC power system represented a huge advance for battery electric forklifts. "It has allowed Toyota to change the conventional design layout of the electric forklift to achieve improved performance, operator friendliness, stability, safety and machine operation time," he said. "The Toyota AC motor system has a three-mode Power Select Function, giving the operator the optimal performance range required with the flick of one switch." The three settings are H-mode (high-power), P-mode (Power) and S-mode (Standard). The newly adopted H-mode provides a 20-30 percent increase in power, ideal for applications where there is a lot of vertical handling, multiple load handling in a short time span or where a battery electric machine replaces an internal combustion forklift. The Toyota 7FB Series also has a Power Keep function, which increases performance as the battery discharges. It provides more power in the 40-90 percent battery discharge range. Mike Bennett said adopting AC power in the 7FB range had allowed Toyota to locate the battery under the floor. The AC motor is more compact than a direct-current motor of equivalent power, and that has meant the battery can be set between the axles rather than under the seat. The result is a lower centre of gravity (and hence greater stability), a lower seat and a lower step height. On the 1.5 tonne 7FB15 model, the base of the battery is now less than 80mm above the ground, compared with 480mm above the ground in the superseded 6-Series FB15 model. The floor height on the 7FB has been reduced from 680mm to 620mm and the step height from 485mm to 430mm for greater ease of access. Toyota's adoption of full hydraulic power steering has increased foot space. The AC power system reduces running costs because there are no motor brushes to maintain. The regenerative brake system reduces brake lining wear. Toyota's System of Active Stability (SAS) monitors and controls the stability of the forklift truck and the mast. It monitors and controls forklift truck stability through a combination of advanced sensors linked to an onboard computer. The result is optimum load-carrying performance coupled with class-leading safety. The key improvements are active-control rear stabiliser, active mast function controller and automatic fork levelling control. The active-control rear stabiliser gives the 7FB electric forklifts excellent stability in tight-turning situations, and reduced risk of roll-over. Toyota's active mast front tilt-angle control lowers the risk of the load falling and the possibility of the vehicle overturning. It controls the mast's front tilt angle according to the weight of the load and the height of the forks above the ground.