TYRI partners with Toyota Material Handling Europe on Lower Carbon Concept

TYRI is contributing its lighting expertise to Toyota Material Handling Europe’s Lower Carbon Series – a collaborative project exploring how materials, design and manufacturing can reduce the carbon footprint of industrial vehicles. For the latest concept, based on the Toyota Traigo48 electric counterbalanced forklift, TYRI has focused on reducing the environmental impact of the truck’s rear light panel.

TYRI has worked closely with Toyota Material Handling Europe for many years. Around a year ago, TYRI received a new challenge: to investigate how its lighting products could contribute to Toyota Material Handling’s work to reduce the carbon footprint of its products.

Since 2023, Toyota Material Handling Europe has developed several Lower Carbon concepts. The latest project focuses on the Toyota Traigo48 electric counterbalanced forklift – a model for which TYRI already supplies a specially designed rear light panel.

Ingrid Karlsson, Senior CMF (Colour, Material, Finish) Designer at Toyota Material Handling Europe and one of the project leaders, explains that the project is intended to demonstrate what can be achieved and inspire both internally and externally. At the same time, the ambition is to bring suitable solutions from the concept into future production vehicles as soon as possible.

Innovation through collaboration

Toyota Material Handling Europe has brought together several suppliers and partners, including TYRI. Each company contributes its specialist knowledge to help reduce the overall environmental impact. TYRI was challenged to rethink the lighting solution.

“For us, the focus was the complex rear light panel,” says Christian Wadell, Global R&D Director at TYRI. “We looked at the complete product to see where alternative materials and technologies could make a difference.”

TYRI’s work focused on three main areas:

• Recycled materials: The use of PCR and PIR recycled feedstocks in Dijblend 1000 D25 offers the potential for a CO₂ reduction of up to 90% for selected applications.
• Alternative materials: SABIC Lexan 123R-111 was evaluated for its potential to reduce environmental impact while meeting the technical requirements of the product.
• Recyclable electronics: Soluboard by Jiva is a recyclable PCB substrate made from natural fibres and a water-soluble polymer. According to Jiva, it can reduce the carbon footprint by up to 67% compared with conventional epoxy-fibreglass PCB materials.

The lighting solution is produced at TYRI’s factory in Gothenburg, Sweden, using solar power and 100% fossil-free electricity.

“This project challenges us to look at familiar products in completely new ways,” says Wadell. “By working together with Toyota and other specialists, we can explore solutions that could eventually become part of future series production.”

Presented at LogiMAT and Milan Design Week

The Toyota Material Handling Europe (THME) Lower Carbon Concepts was presented at LogiMAT 2026 and with Traigo48 at Milan Design Week 2026. Demonstrating how material innovation, life-cycle thinking and collaboration across the supply chain can help reduce the environmental impact of industrial vehicles.

For TYRI, the project demonstrates how even a lighting system can contribute – from recycled materials and recyclable electronics to lower-carbon manufacturing.

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