THE WEST COASTS PREMIER AUCTIONEER

In recent industry news, Manitou has partnered with Kiloutou—a leading European equipment rental company—to unveil what they claim is the first telehandler conversion kit that replaces a diesel engine with a battery-powered system. Rather than purchasing entirely new electric machines, fleets could simply retrofit their existing telehandlers, cutting down on emissions without significant capital outlay.

After removing the original combustion engine at Manitou’s Ancenis, France production facility, engineers installed a lithium-ion battery pack and electric drivetrain in its place. The result is a telehandler that matches the performance of the diesel version while slashing carbon emissions by roughly 40%. According to Manitou’s recent update, all safety benchmarks have been met, and the machine operates just as reliably as before.

Work on this prototype began last year when Kiloutou selected one of its high-lift Manitou telehandlers for conversion. Once the rebuild was complete, Kiloutou put the machine through a series of trials at its in-house testing center. Early reports indicate that it’s ready to be deployed on an actual jobsite by next month, giving a contractor real-world feedback on how these retrofitted units perform under typical loads and operating conditions.

Kiloutou sees electrification as a strategic way to modernize older assets without the expense of replacing an entire fleet. François Renault, Kiloutou’s Director of Equipment and Sustainable Development, explained that retrofit kits let customers “upgrade parts of our fleet in line with sustainability goals—without having to repurchase every single machine.” Over time, Kiloutou plans to convert several five-year-old telehandlers, and those electric models will be offered for rent through the company’s French branches.

For any construction or rental business exploring electric options, these retrofit electrification kits could eventually be a game changer. They have the potential to impact the industry in a big way. However, while the electrification kits aren’t yet available, solutions still exist that are more cost effective than supplementing your fleet with brand new equipment. If you’re curious about buying, or selling used equipment at auction to build out or leverage your fleet, Bar None Auction can help. Explore upcoming listings or learn how we can help you unlock the value in your existing assets.