Recently, Toyota Material Handling Europe, a subsidiary of Toyota announced that its new
generation of lithium battery counterbalanced forklift, Toyota Traigo_i, has won 2026 German
Design Award for Outstanding Product Design in the Industrial category
This is the second major international design honor that the model has received after winning
the Red Dot Product Design Award in 2025. As the flagship model of Toyota's all-new Traigo48
48-volt electric counterbalanced forklift platform. Traigo_i has been restructured around lithium-ion
batteries from the very beginning of its platform design:
the entire vehicle reserves a compact battery compartment specifically for the integrated lithium
battery system, achieving a shorter body and larger operating space while maintaining a load
capacity of 1.5 to 2.0 tons. The Traigo48 series includes various models with three and four support
points, suitable for indoor and outdoor working conditions such as loading and unloading, stacking,
and horizontal handling. The entire series is equipped with Toyota's SAS (System of Active Stability)
as standard to ensure the vehicle's posture and cargo stability during high-speed operations.
The most notable aspect of Traigo_i is its distinct design language. Toyota Material Handling
Europe introduced that the inspiration for the overall contour lines of the vehicle comes from the
shape of the traditional Japanese samurai sword "katana", which is reflected in the smooth dynamic
waistline on the side of the frame and the more tense shape of the cab, making this industrial
equipment highly recognizable even in warehouse or factory environments. Meanwhile, this design
does not merely focus on visual effects but serves ergonomics and the operating field of vision:
a lower dashboard, a slimmer frame guard, and an optional wide-view glass roof create a broader
field of vision and greater safety margin for the driver.
From the perspective of detailed configuration, Traigo_i has made significant engineering
investments based on the concept of "people-oriented". The vehicle adopts a fully floating cockpit
structure and significantly reduces noise and vibration through a four-point suspension vibration
reduction design. The open double-sided cockpit provides convenience for frequent getting on and
off the vehicle and also enhances the safety of escape in emergency situations.
The reduced-diameter steering wheel, sunken dashboard and optional central touchscreen make
the operation interface more compact and intuitive, allowing the driver to maintain a natural and
relaxed sitting posture even during long shifts.
For high-intensity electric operation scenarios, the energy and power systems of Traigo_i have
also been specially optimized. The entire vehicle is equipped with lithium-ion battery modules assembled
internally by Toyota. Combined with a compact battery compartment layout, it not only ensures the
driving range under multiple shifts but also "squeezes" more legroom for the feet. The SyncoDrive system,
through the combination of an embedded permanent magnet synchronous traction motor and a
high-performance controller, maintains power output while reducing energy consumption, achieving a
higher handling efficiency per kilowatt-hour. In addition, the vehicle supports a convenient opportunistic
charging method, reducing downtime caused by centralized charging.
In the highly competitive niche market of counterbalanced electric forklifts, Traigo_i has received dual
support from the Red Dot Award and the German Design Award. This not only provides a concentrated
endorsement of the design strength of Toyota Material Handling Europe itself, but also reflects from
one aspect: In the future, the competition among electric forklifts will increasingly revolve around "energy
efficiency + safety + driving experience + design language", rather than merely being a contest of
parameters and prices.
