Builders Merchants Journal – BMJ Publishing to Builders Merchants and the UK merchanting industry for more than 95 years
Laker Builders Merchant has taken a delivery of electric Combilifts, culminating in a now fully electric forklift fleet across all branches after the acquisition of the electric forklifts in 2021.
Steve Robinson, Laker Builders Merchant managing director, said: “We’ve fulfilled our ambition of going fully electric on all our forklifts and I’m pleased to report we’ve reduced our CO2 by over 20 tonnes per year through this implementation. It’s a real win for the environment and a testament to the commitment Laker has to achieving CarbonZero.”
Forkway’s Steve Noble suggested the EP EFL302 Lithium Counterbalance machines for the yards and the Combi-lift CBE3000 for the warehouse areas; the Combilifts can also double up as a yard machine during peak periods. When they are used, no carbon dioxide is released. Electric forklifts and counterbalance trucks utilise only the amount of energy required to operate. An added benefit is the massive reduction in noise pollution.
Robinson added: “Once the ideal truck specifications had been confirmed and we knew it was possible to meet the Carbon-Zero brief. The challenge fell to delivering all of this this within Lakers budget, with significantly reduced running cost across the fleet on both fuel and maintenance. With no engine oil or fuel filters to change, servicing cost are greatly reduced over the old ICE fleet. Fuel saving are thousands per year. With the Lithium batteries expected to last well over the 5-year warranty period, the fleet will be providing cost savings and environmentally positive benefits for many years to come.”
Laker’s partnership with Forkway continues with the provision of new training for everyone. They have all been provided with a training certificate and Forkway will be back to refresh every so often. Forkway are accredited by The Independent Training Standards Scheme and Register (ITSSAR).
