Manitou Group has acquired an 82% stake in easyLi, a French designer and manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries.
The move enables Manitou to accelerate its transition to alternative power with business lines dedicated to R&D and the production and reconditioning of lithium-ion batteries, the company says.
Founded in 2011, easyLi manufactures and maintains lithium-ion battery systems for electric mobility and stationary energy storage solutions. It has 25 employees and is based in Poitiers, France.
“EasyLi’s expertise adds substantial value to our organization. By internalizing this expertise, we are going to be able to study machine-battery interactions in depth and thus continue to reduce total cost of ownership for our users. This operation is in keeping with our research and development plan to accelerate our energy transition,” says Michel Denis, president and CEO of Manitou Group.
François Barsacq, founder and CEO of easyLi, adds: “We are proud to be joining Manitou Group. It is a fantastic opportunity to share our know-how internationally on different ranges of handling products, while stepping up our activities on our historical markets of urban electric mobility, on-board energy systems and self-sufficient environments. We look forward to accompanying Manitou Group in this new stage.”
Manitou has a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from its machines by 34% per hour by 2030. The company is pursuing multiple means of reaching that goal, including battery-electric and hydrogen technology.
Maniou unveiled its first hydrogen fuel-cell telehandler with plans to bring a 100% hydrogen telehandler to market in 2026. The prototype follows Manitou’s unveiling of electric telehandlers and all-terrain work platforms at the Bauma show in Germany in October.
