JAMES ALLEN, IVT INTERNATIONAL
All-weather power
TWENTY TWO YEARS AFTER LAUNCHING AN “ASSAULT ON
THE LIFT-TRUCK MARKET” WITH THE RELEASE OF ITS
TELETRUCK, JCB PRESENTS A NEW, FULLY-ELECTRIC VERSION
In 1997, JCB, the proud British
off-highway manufacturer,
launched its telescopic-capable
forklift, the Teletruk, to the world.
Dispensing with the frontmounted
vertical mast synonymous
with conventional forklifts, the
innovative machine’s forks were
positioned on a side-mounted
telescopic boom. Such a design feature
was an industry first, providing the
Teletruk with forward reach, in
addition to the standard upward lift.
Considered a milestone significant
enough to be given coverage in the
national press (at a time when people
still bought newspapers regularly) the
Financial Times declared its arrival as
an “assault on the lift-truck market”.
The industry equally recognized
the machine’s uniqueness and it
was the recipient of multiple accolades
– including prizes from the UK
forklift truck association, the
Institute of Transport Management –
even achieving the prestigious
Millenium Product-status by the
UK Design Council.
Initially available in two-wheel
drive; four-wheel drive and highperformance
3.5 metric ton iterations
subsequently followed.
New kid on the block
Now, 22 years after the original
vehicle’s debut, JCB has developed a
new fully electric version of the
popular machine – the 30-19E –
Advanced Lift-56 truck Technology International 2019
unveiling it at its global headquarters,
located in Staffordshire, England
in April.
“For 22 years, our forklift solution
has been the Teletruk, powered by a
diesel or LPG but we are constantly
innovating and constantly challenging
established ways of doing things,”
explains Tim Burnhope, JCB chief
innovation officer. “We asked
ourselves, why can’t those working
indoors enjoy all the benefits of a
Teletruk but with zero emissions? We
asked ourselves, why can’t lift truck
operators have a robust machine
guaranteed to work outdoors in all
weathers, as well as indoors? Well now
they can, this is a massive leap
forward in our Teletruk technology
and we are proud to make this
stunning new machine available.”
Capable of loading and unloading
material from curtain-sided trailers
in half the floor space of a
conventional forklift, the low 2.2m
cab height means containers, vans
and other delivery vehicles can also
be easily entered and exited for
loading purposes. Such advantages
offered by the existing model are well
understood by customers from
around the world who rely on
the machine.
Retaining many of the features of
the original, the 30-19E is more
environmentally-friendly as well as
bringing the Teletruk’s benefits to
indoor applications for the first time.
3,000kg
The 30-19E’s maximum
lift capacity