A greener future the STILL RX 70
October 1st 2008 With a well deserved reputation as a market-leading innovator, STILL produces some of the cleanest materials handling equipment available. Here, we look at the eco-friendly
design of the RX 70 and, in particular, its fuel saving hybrid drive technology
The significance of global warming and
climate change is having an impact
on all of us individuals and
companies alike. Carbon emissions are
acknowledged to be a major factor in
global warming and their ill effects on the
planet's wellbeing are becoming apparent
to more and more people worldwide. The
importance of reducing carbon emissions,
therefore, has never been greater. But it is
an unavoidable fact that industry (and the
logistics industry in particular) relies heavily
on machines powered by the internal
combustion engine - acknowledged to be a
major contributor to pollution because of
its exhaust emissions.
STILL's distinctive orange and silver
forklift and warehouse handling trucks
have, over the past 40 years, led the way in
technical innovation and advancement.
One development back in the early 1980s is
of particular importance to today's
objective of reduced carbon emissions
the diesel-electric hybrid. Such technology
was way ahead of its time and is only now
finding its way into road going vehicles
and being hailed as a wonder solution!
Over the ensuing years, STILL has
steadily refined and developed the dieselelectric
concept, resulting in the technically
brilliant RX 70 range of diesel and LPG
fuelled forklift trucks, which even today
remains the only range of forklift trucks
available with hybrid technology.
No other truck uses less fuel
The figures speak for themselves. Based on
new VDI 2198 guidelines, a 2.5 tonnes
diesel powered truck fitted with a
conventional torque converter transmission
uses up to 5.4 litres of fuel per hour.
The STILL RX 70-25 uses just 2.5 litres for
the same task a saving of well over 50%.
For a typical 5-year contract the potential
savings per truck are staggering, especially
with large fleet operators.
Lower emissions through lower fuel usage
Exhaust emissions volumes are directly
related to the amount of fuel consumed.
Put simply, by consuming less fuel fewer
exhaust gas emissions and particulates will
be released into the atmosphere.
It is here that the RX 70 has the
advantage over all other i.c. engine trucks:
because it uses less fuel than any other
truck in its class it must contribute
commensurately lower pollution figures.
The key lies in the unique
engine/transmission system at the heart of
the RX 70. Trucks with torque converter-based
transmissions simply can't compete because
of the power losses inherent in the design.
Torque converter transmissions have been
around a long time and served their purpose
well, but their days have to be numbered.
Award winning Hybrid drive how it works
At the heart of the RX 70's powerful hybrid
drive system is an internal combustion engine
running on diesel or LP gas. The engine drives
a generator, which in turn (via an intelligent
control unit) drives an electric induction motor.
This induction motor then provides power to
the drive wheels and all of the truck's systems.
Because it uses less fuel than any other
truck in the world, and thanks to the truck's
many other environmentally friendly
aspects, it's hardly surprising that the STILL
RX 70 25-35 range won the much coveted
2008 Environment Award at the Fork Lift
Truck Association's Awards for Excellence.
STILL is dedicated to providing intelligent
solutions to the intralogistics industry that
meet the toughest environmental restrictions
without compromising operational efficiency. More articles from Still Materials Handling: | 
