German materials handling manufacturer Jungheinrich is pushing back on insurer concerns around the use of lithium-ion forklifts inside warehouses. Faced with a precautionary stance from some property insurers, the supplier commissioned an independent fire-behavior test on its own LFP (lithium iron phosphate) battery range. The results, run by France’s CNPP at its Saint-Marcel facility in mid-December, are now being used in commercial discussions across Europe.
What the CNPP test showed
The simulated fire targeted an EFG 215 counterbalance truck equipped with a LFP lithium-ion battery. According to Jungheinrich, the test recorded no material ejection and no battery explosion. Outgassing, which did not aggravate the fire, occurred only after 48 minutes, a window the manufacturer says is long enough for fire services to intervene effectively. The CNPP is operated as a private association mainly backed by insurance companies, which gives the result some weight when discussions reach the underwriting table.
Counter-arguments for risk managers
Beyond the test, Jungheinrich is lining up four arguments to defuse hesitations from insurers and risk managers. First, the company says there is no statistical evidence that lithium-ion forklifts pose a higher risk profile than equivalent lead-acid models. Second, unlike automotive or consumer-electronics batteries, forklift packs are not weight-constrained and are housed inside protective casings roughly ten times thicker, which improves both stability and fire resistance.
The remaining two arguments come down to chemistry. Jungheinrich’s lithium-ion batteries are predominantly LFP, with no cobalt, generating outgassing that is less prone to ignition than nickel-rich chemistries. The OEM also points to integrated battery management systems that monitor cells in real time and shut down the pack at the first thermal anomaly. The combined pitch is aimed at warehouse operators who have run into clauses in their policies restricting indoor charging or imposing dedicated charging rooms.
What it changes on the ground
Intralogistics electrification has accelerated over the past three years, with most major OEMs (Toyota Material Handling, Linde, Kion, Hyster-Yale) now selling lithium-ion as standard on large parts of their range. The bottleneck has shifted from product readiness to insurance posture, especially in shared warehousing and food-grade environments. Jungheinrich’s CNPP-backed data point is unlikely to settle the debate on its own, but it strengthens the case 3PLs and shippers are bringing to underwriters when they sign new building covers.
