What is a 3 wheel electric forklift?
A 3 wheel electric forklift is a counterbalance truck with two wheels at the front and its steering concentrated at a single point at the back. Because the rear can pivot almost on the spot, it turns much tighter than a four-wheel truck of the same capacity.
That makes three-wheel trucks the usual pick for indoor work: putting pallets away in racking, loading lorries from a dock and moving stock around production lines. They are built for smooth, level floors rather than rough yards.
The TVL adds dual drive, with a separate 5 kW AC motor on each front wheel. On a tight turn the controller runs the two wheels at different speeds, which helps the truck swing round cleanly, and on ramps both motors pull together so it keeps its pace under load.
CPD 15/18/20 TVL specifications
All three models share the same mast, motors and 80V system. The differences are in capacity, battery size and chassis width.
|
CPD15 TVL |
CPD18 TVL |
CPD20 TVL |
| Rated capacity |
1,500 kg |
1,800 kg |
2,000 kg |
| Load centre |
500 mm |
500 mm |
500 mm |
| Standard lift height |
3,000 mm |
3,000 mm |
3,000 mm |
| Lowered mast height |
2,075 mm |
2,075 mm |
2,075 mm |
| Overhead guard height |
2,078 mm |
2,078 mm |
2,078 mm |
| Overall length |
2,733 mm |
2,833 mm |
3,020 mm |
| Overall width |
1,070 mm |
1,070 mm |
1,170 mm |
| Turning radius |
1,450 mm |
1,550 mm |
1,585 mm |
| Aisle width (1,000 × 1,200 mm pallet, crossways) |
3,175 mm |
3,275 mm |
3,315 mm |
| Travel speed (laden/unladen) |
13/14 km/h |
13/14 km/h |
13/14 km/h |
| Lift speed (laden/unladen) |
0.33/0.45 m/s |
0.33/0.45 m/s |
0.30/0.40 m/s |
| Drive motors |
2 × 5.0 kW |
2 × 5.0 kW |
2 × 5.0 kW |
| Lift motor |
11 kW |
11 kW |
11 kW |
| Battery |
80V/150Ah |
80V/205Ah |
80V/205Ah |
| Service weight |
2,950 kg |
3,269 kg |
3,429 kg |
Figures are from EP’s published TVL brochure for the standard 3 m mast. Other mast options, including triplex, are available, and capacity reduces at height. We will confirm what the truck can lift at your racking height before quoting.
Which TVL model do you need?
CPD15 TVL. The tightest turner of the three at 1,450 mm, with an 80V/150Ah battery. A good fit for lighter pallets and the narrowest aisles.
CPD18 TVL. The same 1,070 mm width, 300 kg more capacity and the larger 80V/205Ah battery. It is often the best all-rounder for mixed warehouse work.
CPD20 TVL. A slightly wider 1,170 mm chassis and larger front tyres to carry 2 tonnes, while still turning inside 1,600 mm. Choose this one if your pallets are regularly near the 2 tonne mark.
Battery, charging and run time
EP rates the TVL at around six hours of continuous work per charge. The charger is built into the truck and runs on single-phase power, so it can be plugged in wherever there is a suitable supply, with no separate charging unit to fit. On the CPD18 and CPD20, a three-phase charger is available if you need faster turnarounds.
Because the battery is lithium-ion, short charges during breaks and shift changes do it no harm. On a two-shift operation, that usually means the truck never needs a full stop for charging. The battery is sealed and maintenance-free, with nothing to top up.
Where the TVL works best
- Narrow-aisle warehouses – tight turning and a 1,070 mm body for racking runs where a four-wheel truck would struggle.
- Loading docks – quick to turn and fast between the dock and the racking, at up to 14 km/h.
- Manufacturing – feeding lines and clearing finished goods in areas shared with staff and machinery.
- Food and drink – quiet, emission-free handling around stock and packaging.
If your trucks spend much of the day outside on rough or uneven ground, a four-wheel truck such as the EFL181/201 or CPD15/20/30/35L1(S) will be more comfortable. For very low headroom or the tightest spaces, the EFS 151 is smaller again, and for high racking in narrow aisles, look at our reach trucks. The full range is on our electric forklift trucks page.
Sale, hire and leasing
The CPD 15/18/20 TVL is available to buy, on contract hire or lease, or on short-term hire for busy periods and trials. Our hire and leasing options explain how each works.
Our own engineers look after servicing, breakdowns and LOLER thorough examinations. See servicing and repairs. If you run several trucks, forklift telematics shows how hard each one is working and alerts you to any impacts.
