Toyota Lifter LHM230: 18% less CO2 thanks to SSAB Zero steel

Decarbonization Environmentally Friendly Swedish Steel for Toyota Material Handling Europe

2026-06-05 From Dipl.-Betriebswirt (FH) Bernd Maienschein | Translated by AI 1 min Reading Time

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Toyota Material Handling Europe has now reduced the CO₂ footprint of its well-known hand pallet truck Toyota Lifter LHM230 by 18 percent. The Japanese rely on SSAB Zero steel from Sweden for the forks and frame.

With the help of SSAB Zero steel from Sweden, Toyota Material Handling Europe is already reducing its carbon footprint in series production.(Image: Toyota Material Handling) — With the help of SSAB Zero steel from Sweden, Toyota Material Handling Europe is already reducing its carbon footprint in series production.
(Image: Toyota Material Handling)

As part of the Toyota Industries Corporation (TICO), Toyota Material Handling is by far the world's largest manufacturer of material handling equipment, with steel being a central component in production. According to the company, Toyota Material Handling Europe produces around 80,000 hand pallet trucks and 15,000 electric pallet trucks each year. For the production of its Toyota Lifter LHM230 hand pallet truck, the company has now switched to CO₂-reduced steel from SSAB—an important milestone on the path to achieving its corporate goal of net-zero emissions across the entire value chain by the fiscal year 2041.

By using SSAB Zero, we reduce emissions in the forks and frames of our hand pallet trucks by up to 75 percent.

Per Fyrenius, SVP Corporate Development by Toyota Material Handling Europe

Why did Toyota choose the LHM230 for its environmentally friendly initiative? Quite simply: they aim to achieve the largest possible impact in CO₂ reduction, which is most promising at the start with a high-volume product. However, SSAB Zero steel is also used in the fork production of three electric Toyota BT Levio low-lift trucks: the LWE130, LWE140, and LWE160.

Verified for Highest Demands

As the global market leader states, the introduction of SSAB Zero required verification to ensure both performance and compatibility with production. Camilla Åkerman, Program Manager Fossil-Free Products at the forklift manufacturer: "The biggest challenge was verifying the material. To ensure the required performance, a robust verification plan was necessary. It was a challenge, but the results were very positive."

For detail enthusiasts: The fossil carbon dioxide emissions in the production of SSAB Zero steel by the Swedish steelmaker SSAB are less than 0.05 kilograms (approx. 1.76 oz) of carbon equivalent per kilogram of steel in Scope 1 and 2 of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.

Materials researcher Stefanie Arnold wants to make energy storage more environmentally friendly with the help of hollow carbon spheres. (Image:Saarland University)

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