In this episode, I was joined by Harold Vanasse who is the Senior Director of Motive Power Marketing at Enersys. You may remember that Enersys had my favorite innovation at ProMat last year, wireless forklift charging, and we talked further about it with Joern Tinnemeyer, their CTO, on Episode 18 last year so at MODEX I had to catch up with Harold and see what is the latest.

Key Takeaways

• Enersys is one of the largest global suppliers of battery products for many different applications and industries. They provide multiple different battery applications for the forklift industry that allow you to operate with full power for extended periods of time. As you know from the previous discussion with them and this episode they are continuously innovating with wireless charging being a huge innovation for the industry.
• Their newest technology is the Nexsys line of batteries which has thin plate pure lead technology. This allows for a longer maintenance-free life of the battery. Being maintenance-free is key in the demanding distribution and warehouse environments that can require forklifts to be in use close to 24 hours a day. In this case, maintenance-free means no watering of batteries and minimal charging with fast charge setups allowing for a charge in less than 2 hours.
• For heavy-duty options, Enersys can provide lithium-ion battery options as well which provide the same maintenance-free, long-life advantages that the thin plate pure lead technology offers. Harold discusses how all of these different battery types are a part of the hybrid ecosystem Enersys can bring to your company. They utilize a program called Insights that helps them analyze which batteries are needed for your operation. This helps to ensure that you are getting the most cost-effective solution and the proper mix to power you through all shifts as needed.
• Harold also gave us an update on their wireless charging system and they even had a demo at MODEX which you can see below. Currently, they are working on field testing wireless charging with their initial target to be able to put in wireless chargers where forklift drivers park. Once this is perfected, they will move on to working on the “hot aisles” where charging will happen as the forklift operator travels in that area. The amazing thing about the wireless charging to me is the communication that the battery and the charger are doing to know when it should charge and when it should not. Really incredible stuff.

Listen to and watch our discussion below. Are you looking forward to wireless charging? Leave a comment below and let us know.