Romeo Power Designs 48V Lithium Battery for Komatsu USA Factory Stores

VERNON, Calif., Sept. 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Romeo Power, the energy storage technology company founded by engineers from SpaceX, Tesla, and Samsung, announced today they will provide 48V lithium forklift batteries for Komatsu USA's nationwide chain of factory stores. Romeo Power's Thunder Maxx lithium pack is a drop-in replacement for lead-acid batteries that delivers 3.2x the total energy throughput of the leading lead-acid forklift battery for a more efficient fleet and lasts about 3.2x longer, ~ 4,000 charges.

"Komatsu has evaluated the Thunder Maxx product thoroughly and committed to purchase," said Romeo Power CEO Mike Patterson. "This pack powers any make or model 48V forklift with a 24-85-17 or 24-85-21 tray. And we have the engineering capability to custom design a lithium battery and charger package for any customer or application."

Thunder Maxx comes with a 6-year warranty, charges fully in as little as 2.5 hours, and eliminates battery swaps with onboard quick charging. It goes in once and never leaves the forklift so fleet owners can replace three leadacid batteries with one Thunder Maxx and reclaim lost productivity with less equipment – no stopping three times per day to swap out traditional lead-acid batteries.  

Less equipment also frees up valuable warehouse space by eliminating the need for a dedicated battery room. Also, unlike lead-acid batteries, Thunder Maxx produces zero emissions and requires zero maintenance: no hazardous watering or time-consuming equalize charging and the end of toxic dust, fumes, and spills.

Thunder Maxx lithium packs are charged exclusively with Power Designers Sibex's REVOLUTION high frequency, modular battery chargers that deliver peak efficiency greater than 93%, and efficiencies greater than 90% throughout the entire charge cycle. As output current tapers, the charger turns off unneeded modules. Fleet owners can combine multi-voltage 1.3kW modules to produce over 30kW output depending on their needs.

"Power Designers Sibex and Romeo Power offer a lithium battery and charger integrated total solution package that satisfies existing forklift configurations," said Dan Crowley, Senior Vice President of Power Designers Sibex. "Our solution is fully plug and play, it offers an efficient and productive power alternative with extended run times and excellent charging capabilities designed specifically for the ruggedness of the material handling market."

Electric Forklifts Are Huge Market for Lithium Batteries
North American forklift sales set a record in 2017 at more than a quarter million units, with electric forklifts accounting for 64% of that, according to a 2018 article by Material Handling & Logistics. E-commerce is a big reason for overall forklift industry growth – e-tailers have warehouses filled with all kinds of goods that need to be handled fast and efficiently.

In addition to increased productivity thanks to greater efficiency and maneuverability, the growing popularity of electric forklifts specifically is due in large part by a desire for reduced emissions in the work environment, according to MHI, the largest material handling, logistics, and supply chain association in the US. It makes sense to power electric forklifts with lithium vs. lead-acid batteries, which emit toxic hydrogen sulfide gas and risk sulfuric acid spills.

"Pairing the Romeo Power Thunder Maxx with Power Designers Sibex REVOLUTION chargers gives our customers a very easy, operator-friendly experience," said Terry Rose, GM for Komatsu Forklift North America Retail Operations. "The Thunder Maxx is an optimal fuel source without the lead-acid issues: safety/hazmat concerns, battery equalizing and watering, and battery replacement. Our customers can dramatically improve efficiencies with run times of more than two shifts on a single charge, and many of our long-term customers have converted from lead-acid and propane and lowered their overall operating costs."

Pre-Orders
Thunder Maxx will receive UL Certification at the end of September and will be available in limited quantities September – December until production ramps up in 2019. Pre-order Thunder Maxx now at https://romeopower.com/48v/. 

ABOUT ROMEO POWER TECHNOLOGY
Romeo was founded in 2015 by a group of engineers from SpaceX, Tesla, and Samsung on a mission to advance energy technology so they could help end energy poverty. They build "tighter and lighter" battery packs for electric vehicles and stationary energy storage that perform better and last longer thanks to industry-leading energy density and battery management. Learn more at https://romeopower.com/.  

ABOUT POWER DESIGNERS SIBEX
Power Designers Sibex is a leading manufacturer and developer of industrial power solutions used in electric material handling equipment. Power Designers was the first to develop modular chargers and continues to develop innovative material handling solutions. Power Designers Sibex provides battery chargers for lithium, lead acid, and tubular batteries as well as charger accessories and battery monitoring software designed to enhance battery performance while providing customers with cost savings through energy efficiency, reduced capital costs, and improved labor productivity. Power Designers Sibex is positioned to be your total motive power system solution provider. For more information visit www.powerdesignerssibex.com.  

ABOUT KOMATSU
Founded in 1921 in Komatsu City, Japan, Komatsu is a global leader in equipment design and manufacturing and is the second largest manufacturer in the world with 25 plants globally. Komatsu forklifts are designed to provide durable and dependable performance throughout their lifetime, providing customers with greater value through lower costs of operation day after day thanks to the latest technology. Komatsu Forklift makes a wide variety of forklifts to meet a diverse number of application needs. In addition, they provide worldclass aftermarket support and fleet management programs to meet and exceed customers' expectations. Learn more at https://www.komatsuforklift.com/.  

Media Contact
Jaclynn Jarrett
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SOURCE Romeo Power Technology

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