November 7, 2019: Exide Technologies, the lead and lithium battery manufacturer, unveiled the next iteration of its Sonnenschein Lithium Battery for forklifts at international logistics trade fair Logistica in the Netherlands on November 5.

The battery, due to be released in Q1 2020, offers “advanced safety features and improvements in efficiency and runtime,” says the firm.

Exide is also presenting GNB Fleet, its latest fleet management software, due to enter the market in Q1 2020. Cloud-based GNB Fleet measures battery, charger and site information, and offers data on energy consumption, item availability, and uptime. It detects damaged batteries and chargers before they fail.

Fred van Verseveld, sales and marketing manager at Exide in the Benelux, says, “Our latest lithium battery will provide the lowest total cost of ownership for material handling applications, while GNB Fleet offers next-generation fleet management capabilities in the cloud.”

Logistica is an international logistics trade fair that features around 200 exhibitors in the areas of material handling, intralogistics, robotics, and automation.

“It shows how easily some traditional lead battery manufacturers have adapted to making lithium products to make sure they have a stake in that market,” said one industry insider.