14.11.2015

WolfLift is no more

We now have definitive confirmation that Skyjack founder Wolf Haessler’s plans to return to the powered access market with a revolutionary alternative to scissor lifts - the WolfLifT - has end a year after its public launch.
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Wolf Haessler took the product from a concept idea to a fully functional product

The WolfLifT, aimed at the electric slab scissor lift market used solid side panels in place of the traditional scissors structure, and incorporated a number of other radical features, such as high mounted electric drive motors, along with electric steering and lift, which eliminated the need for hydraulics. However the concept has almost certainly proved to be too radical for what is a highly price sensitive sector of the market.
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The product was probably a little too radical for volume buyers

Haessler invested a great deal of money into taking the concept from an idea to a fully functioning prototype. But transferring this to a cost effective production line, and building them at a price that would generate a decent margin, proved too much.
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The WolfLifT also uses a radical electric drive and steer concept for the front axle

See Wolf Haessler returns to access

Vertikal Comment

This highly innovative concept was not only too radical for the market, but the concept and componentry costs were clearly going to push this into a super-premium position in terms of pricing, even if produced in volume in the most efficient production facility. Wolf Haessler was clearly not quite confident enough to throw more money at the project, and will be disappointed that more rental companies and end users did not buy into the concept up front.

This is also not the first time that a company has attempted to go mainstream with an all-electric scissor lift, but until now all have failed due to costs or technical challenges. It seems that we are hardly any closer to achieving that. While many will have seen this outcome as predictable it is a shame to see such innovative thinking come to a end so soon.

While this might be the end of the WolfLifT, it might be too soon to write off Haessler’s plans to get back into the industry. He is above all a first class entrepreneur and they tend to come up with their best ideas when licking their wounds.