iF DESIGN AWARD for Urban Runner and iF DESIGN AWARD Gold for latest stand-in stacker: Li-ion success story continues.

A prize in recognition of quality & innovation 

The latest Toyota BT Staxio li-ion-powered stand-in stacker SSI200D has scored the biggest win in the iF Design Awards 2024. It’s now one of the top winners of the world-renowned design label. Of almost 11,000 submissions from 72 countries, only the 75 most outstanding design projects were honoured with Gold.  
A 132-member jury, made up of independent experts from all over the world, crowned the stand-in stacker for its unique ergonomic design. The jury released the following statement regarding its decision to issue the Gold award: “Much smaller and more manoeuvrable than a forklift, this electro-powered ‘stacker’ is a masterpiece of ergonomic design. Well-resolved details and subtle use of curved forms and colours add richness and humanity to this most industrial of products. 

“Firstly, the iF GOLD Award is an international recognition for our design and product expertise in operator-centred design that continues to make headway internationally,” adds Magnus Oliviera Anderson, Head of Design at Toyota Material Handling Europe, “Secondly, the Urban Runner concept represents our commitment to pushing boundaries and reshaping the future of logistics.” 

Winning the iF DESIGN AWARD, the Urban Runner is the perfect team player in logistics, with its compact and simplified design and thanks to its on-board artificial intelligence and cloud collaboration. 
For a smooth distribution process, from warehouse to end customer, camera technologies, edge computing and A.I. make it possible to teach the delivery vehicle people and object detection, independent decision making and action priority so that it can assess situations and react accordingly in real time. 

The RED design concept awarded 

A few years ago, the company launched its first modular concept built around lithium-ion, the powered pallet truck Toyota BT Levio LWI160, introducing the Radical Energy Design (RED) project. 

The design team came up with a vision for future truck design, revolutionising forklift design by building lithium-ion battery solutions with modules, which are assembled in-house at Toyota Material Handling. 

The thinking behind the RED-project was to eliminate the battery box completely and find alternative options where to house the individual energy modules. This gave the team the freedom to completely redesign the truck, providing answers to various customer queries and adding benefits. 

That was just the start, as the latest Toyota BT Levio/Staxio S-series trucks follow the same customer-centred concept line. They are lightweight, but still extremely powerful and manoeuvrable, built around the integrated li-ion batteries from Toyota, designed with the driver in mind. The compact machines – ideal for work in tight spaces – come with a standardised energy pack. By taking away excess materials and removing the traditional battery tank, the optimised layout of the truck leaves room for all module components to perfectly fit. 

Award-winning products with a competitive edge 

The Toyota BT Staxio stand-in stacker truck is an award-worthy product with a competitive edge. It has many features to help maximise safety in the workplace and is energy-efficient and comfortable. Drivers benefit from a newly designed operator compartment with improved ergonomics for better comfort and productivity. In less than a year from its release, the truck is already awarded Gold iF Design Award 2024 for its unique ergonomic design. 

The Urban Runner, part of an A.I. TeamDelivery concept – where logistics meets mobility, is the latest line of products reflecting Toyota Material Handling's vision of the future, towards more sustainable, productive and safer automated logistics operations. This easily deployable and fully integrable automated delivery vehicle brings smart warehouses to life and ensures consolidated home deliveries. A valued addition to any logistics portfolio. 

More about our built-around-Li-ion stackers>>