Reducing environmental impacts in the materials handling industry

Eve White examines current trends in motive power and the ways that manufacturers are both adapting existing technology and developing new technology that meets the new environmental standards.

Materials handling, like most economic activity, is under pressure to reduce its environmental impact and the sector is addressing its contribution to global warming in a variety of ways. However, one common area of concern – and action – among forklift manufacturers is the impact of engine emissions.

Emissions for offroad vehicles are now regulated by the Tier 4 standards in the US and Stage V standards in the EU. These standards were phased in over several years and have been in full effect since 2015 in the US and 2019 in Europe. They regulate the amount of particulate matter (PM), or black soot, and the nitrogen oxides (NOx), hydrocarbons (HC) and carbon monoxide (CO) that can be emitted from off-highway engines.