The forklift market in France

Forklifts are self-propelled machines designed for lifting and transferring loads in factories and warehouses. This market is actually one segment of the materials handling equipment market, mainly used in intralogistics, industry and construction. Handling equipment also refers to all logistical machines and tools used for transporting or supporting loads requiring physical effort. The materials handling equipment rental market covers all rental services for forklift trucks, hand trucks, pallet trucks, etc.

This market is particularly dependent on the economic climate, especially in view of its main outlets. Indeed, activity in this market is clearly correlated with the level of activity in the industrial and logistics markets, as well as in the public works, construction, events, automotive and aeronautics industries, among others. Moreover, this market in France has experienced a number of shocks over the past two decades. Faced with stagnating sales in the 1990s, the main forklift manufacturers turned to long-term rental (LLD). This trend continues today, with incumbent manufacturers developing new networks. It is estimated that over 60% of equipment delivered to the market each year is destined for long-term rental.

The industrial forklift market can be divided into 3 main categories: thermal forklifts (diesel or gas), electric forklifts and electric warehouse trucks, mainly for logistics platforms.

There is also a category of all-terrain telescopic forklift-trucks (Manitou, JCB, Caterpillar brands) whose users are mainly construction companies. This market is not covered by this study

The forklift market is an extremely dynamic professional market. Assuming a lifespan of around 10 years, the French rotating equipment market is estimated at between 600,000 and 800,000 units. After a sharp fall in 2020, the market rose sharply in 2023 to around 100,000 units (source DLR).the market is dominated by 5 global groups: the German Kion Group with the Linde, Still and Fenwick brands, the German Jungheinrich Group, the Japanese Toyota Group, the Japanese Logisnext Group with the Mitsubishi and Caterpillar Lift Truck brands, and the American Hyster-Yale Group. Numerous distributors and rental companies distribute, rent and maintain equipment. The major groups are buzzing with mergers, acquisitions and partnerships, proof that the market is attracting a great deal of interest.

According to the Rental Association (DLR), the market for forklift trucks has grown very slightly over the past 10 years, but electric forklift trucks are enjoying steady growth, while combustion-powered forklift trucks are stagnating. At the same time, electric forklift trucks are growing rapidly, driven by the construction of new logistics platforms. The proportion of electric forklifts in the French fleet has risen from 38% in 2001 to 55% in 2018. by way of comparison, in Germany, the trend is similar, with the share of electric trucks rising from 46% to 59% over the same period.

Growth levers now seem to lie in intralogistics automation - as witnessed by the many alliances between forklift truck manufacturers and robotics players (Toyota has acquired Vanderlande, a specialist in baggage handling for airports, Kion has acquired the American company Dematic, and Logisnext owns the AGV manufacturer Rocla - and electric forklifts in response to new French regulations. Today's market development is reflected in the coexistence of numerous forklift ranges, with payload capacities generally ranging from 1.5 to 4.5 tonnes for the core market.this diversity is also reflected in lifting heights (over 10 meters for some models), lifting capacities in excess of 10 tonnes, power sources (gas, diesel, electric, hydrogen), and so on. Forklift trucks in France, mainly gas-powered, are moving towards electric power. According to one industry expert, more electric forklifts are now sold than gas or diesel forklifts