Is China's first forklift an electric forklift or a fuel powered forklift? The final result is surprising!
The birth of the first forklift
In 1917, the American CLARK equipment company launched the three wheeled platform type industrial vehicle "Tructractor", which was considered to be the original appearance of a forklift, but it actually did not have a fork. In 1924, CLARK company installed a gantry and lifting chain device on the basis of the Duat tractor, which could lift goods weighing 1000 pounds, and the world's first truly internal combustion powered forklift was born.
Application and Promotion of Forklifts
During World War II, forklifts were widely used by the US military for loading and unloading at airports and ports, which greatly promoted the rapid development and application of forklift technology and gradually made it well-known to the public.
The emergence of electric forklifts
In the 1940s, the British company Baoshi produced Europe's first electric three wheeled forklift, and then Sweden joined the forklift research and development team. Electric forklifts began to be applied in environmentally demanding working conditions due to their advantages such as no pollution and low noise.
The Development of Forklifts in China
In 1953, Shenyang Electric Machinery Factory in China successfully developed the first 2t battery handling vehicle. In September 1954, Shenyang Electric Machinery Factory successfully developed China's first 1.5t balanced weight battery forklift. In June 1958, Dalian Machinery Manufacturing Factory successfully developed China's first 5-ton internal combustion balance weight forklift. In July 1959, Dalian Crane Transport Machinery Factory successfully developed a 1.5t electric forklift.
Surprisingly, China's first forklift was an electric forklift!
Afterwards, the forklift industry in China continued to develop. In the late 1970s, it began to introduce forklift production technology from developed countries such as Japan and Germany, further promoting the progress of forklift technology and industrial upgrading in China.
