Manitou wins innovation award for telehandler retrofit

Gabriel Raffour, Services Innovation Manager Manitou Group, with the show organizer and a member of the jury. (Image: Manitou).

France-based Manitou Group has received an Innovation Award for its retrofitted telehandler at the Drive to Zero exhibition.

Initiated in 2024, the Drive to Zero Innovation Award celebrates groundbreaking concepts that are shaping the future of decarbonized mobility. From a pool of numerous submissions, the jury, including members of the French ecological transition agency, ADEME, selected the development of the retrofitted telehandler for the Vehicle Technology and Innovation category.

Manitou said the award was based on criteria of originality, environmental impact, and potential for widespread adoption, with the jury recognising that the initiative meets significant demand for decarbonizing construction sites.

The retrofit project is based on a partnership that commenced in 2024 with the Kiloutou Group and expanded to include Bouygues Construction Matériel and Equans for the implementation of this testing phase.

Manitou’s Drive to Zero award.

The retrofit initiative aligns with Manitou Group’s new strategic roadmap, LIFT, announced in late April, which identifies the circular economy as a key area of development.

Gabriel Raffour, Manitou’s Services Innovation Manager, stated, “We are delighted to receive this inaugural award for our retrofitted handler. This solution for electrifying existing fleets maintains an equivalent level of performance while significantly reducing noise pollution and emissions from diesel machines. The initial feedback we’ve gathered over the past two months has been exceptionally positive and encouraging.”

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