Li-ion trial for sainsbury's

Sainsbury's and Toyota Material Handling UK are working in partnership to trial alternative battery technology Lithium Ion.

The two companies, who have a long standing relationship, will be testing the new battery technology in one of Sainsbury's largest distribution centres in the UK from the end of September.

The trial, part of an initiative by Toyota Material Handling Europe, will include a range of warehouse equipment integral to distribution centre operations including heavyduty powered pallet trucks and horizontal order pickers. These trucks are often required to work multiple shifts meaning battery efficiency and battery charging is at the forefront of operational planning.

Gary King, logistics operations support manager for Sainsbury's says: "Sainsbury's is dedicated to finding new ways to work efficiently and reduce environmental impact.

We have been working closely with Toyota for a number of years and by sharing our ideas and opportunities we are actively looking for a practical solution to meet this target." In addition to Toyota's experience working with Sainsbury's within its distribution centres, an in-depth study of the practical day-to-day usage of the equipment has been taking place over several months.