The winners of the first International Fork lift Truck of the Year (IFOY) award were announced at a presentation ceremony in Munich on Tuesday 4 June.

"This year, the issues of efficiency and customer benefit were the key factors in the jury vote. All nominated vehicles are leaders in their categories, and the decision was accordingly close," said Anita Würmser, Executive Chairman of the IFOY jury, at the presentation ceremony.

The award in the top truck category of counterbalanced trucks up to 3.5t went to the RX 70 Hybrid from Still. In the opinion of the jury, this first diesel fork lift with energy recovery system and electrical power transmission not only achieved unmatched low energy consumption during the IFOY test but also laid down a benchmark for the development of these trucks, taking the balance of ecology and economy into a new era.

Jungheinrich scooped two awards. Its DFG/TFG 540s diesel/gas machine with hydrostatic drive and a load capacity of 5t reigned supreme in the category of counterbalanced trucks from 3.5t.  Meanwhile the company’s ETV/ETM 214/216 reach truck won the Warehouse Truck category in what was an exciting ‘photo finish’. In stating the reasons for its decision, the jury said the highly reliable order-picking truck combines energy efficiency with excellent handling, great driving performance and a range of ergonomic features.

SHD editor Peter MacLeod was the lone UK judge on the panel. He commented, "It was a very fair and thorough competition, and I was delighted to have been chosen to be part of the judging process. The submitted entries were evaluated on their capabilities within their sector, rather than against just the other trucks entered, which means the winners can not only boast proudly of the IFOY Award they have just collected, but can also describe their products as 'best in class'”.

Picture:  Still 70 Hybrid, top counterbalance truck 2013