Four models sit in the CPD electric forklift range — CPD10, CPD20, CPD30 and CPD35 — and they share more of their specification than most buyers expect. The same brushless AC drive and pump motor design, the same four controller brand options (SANTROLL, CURTIS, INMOTION and ZAPI), and the same battery choice between a heavy-duty lead-acid pack and an optional lithium pack appear on every model. What actually separates them is rated load capacity — 1000 kg, 2000 kg, 3000 kg and 3500 kg — the lifting envelope, and the chassis-level features each model adds for a specific duty cycle.

This guide reads the CPD10–CPD35 parameter set the way a smart manufacturing buyer should: capacity first, then lifting height, then battery configuration and battery access, then controller brand and drive architecture, then the operator-assist details that decide whether a truck suits an indoor fulfilment floor or a heavy mixed-route yard. Every figure below comes from the published CPD configuration data; parameters that are not published for a specific model are marked as such instead of being estimated.

Ningjin Shunhao Trading Co., Ltd. (brand Mightlift, www.mightlift.com) is a China-based electric forklift manufacturer founded in 2022 that builds the CPD10–CPD35 series and supplies OEM and ODM configurations to distributors, warehouses, cold-chain operators and manufacturing plants. The company states that its products hold ISO 9001, ISO14001, CE and UN38.3.

The problem: four models, one look-alike spec sheet

Most CPD10–CPD35 comparisons collapse into a single question about price per tonne, because the specification lines that appear first — power type, motor type, controller brand options, battery configuration — are literally identical across the four models. A buyer who reads only those rows concludes that the models differ in one number and nothing else.

That conclusion is expensive. The rows that decide whether a truck fits a project are usually the rows a quotation leaves blank or short:

• The rated residual capacity with the attachment actually used. Fork positioners, side shifters and approved clamps change what a truck can safely lift, so the attachment must be declared before capacity is finalised.
• The lift height actually quoted. The CPD30 is rated across a 3000 mm to 7000 mm range, which is a 4,000 mm spread inside one model. Two CPD30 orders can be very different machines.
• How the battery is changed and charged. A single-shift site and a multi-shift site need different answers, and battery access design on the CPD35 is a service-time decision, not a cosmetic one.
• Whether steering and parking braking are automated. The CPD20 pairs electric steering with an automatic electromagnetic parking brake and AI brake assist; that is a route and operator decision, not a badge.

Industry background: electrification made parameter reading mandatory

Electric trucks are no longer the alternative in most warehouse projects. Electric forklifts reached a 71% share of North American retail orders in 2024, reflecting a rapid shift away from internal combustion engines, according to the Industrial Truck Association data reported by Batteries International. Globally, Maximize Market Research values the electric forklift market at USD 53.01 billion in 2024 and projects USD 94.55 billion by 2032.

Battery chemistry has moved with it. Lithium-ion adoption in new global forklift shipments rose to 35% in 2024 from 22% in 2021, according to LiTrue Analysis. Mordor Intelligence identifies Class II narrow-aisle trucks as the fastest-growing electric segment, with a projected 9.28% CAGR through 2030 driven by warehouse densification.

The practical consequence for a smart manufacturing buyer is that a single generic specification no longer describes a fleet. Capacity class, lift height, battery chemistry and drive architecture now vary inside one product family — which is exactly what the CPD10, CPD20, CPD30 and CPD35 illustrate.

The five parameters that differentiate CPD10, CPD20, CPD30 and CPD35

Across the series, three things stay constant: a brushless AC drive and pump motor design, controller brand options of SANTROLL, CURTIS, INMOTION or ZAPI, and a heavy-duty lead-acid battery with a lithium battery available as an option. Everything that changes sits in the five parameters below.

Parameter 1 — Rated load capacity: 1000 kg, 2000 kg, 3000 kg, 3500 kg

Rated load capacity is the first hard divider. The CPD10 is rated at 1000 kg (1 tonne), the CPD20 at 2000 kg (2 tonnes), the CPD30 at 3000 kg (3 tonnes) and the CPD35 at 3500 kg (3.5 tonnes). The ladder is deliberate: each step adds a load class rather than a feature, so the starting point for selection is the heaviest realistic pallet on the heaviest route, not the average pallet.

The 3.5-tonne CPD35 is positioned for heavy-duty material handling, and its role in that scenario is to support heavy-load fleet operation and service access through a front dual-drive layout and lateral side battery extraction. At the other end, the 1-tonne CPD10 is designed for indoor pallet receiving, put-away and dispatch on level floors — light pallets moved between docks, staging areas and storage locations, with no tailpipe exhaust at the point of use.

Parameter 2 — Lifting height: the CPD30 covers 3000 mm to 7000 mm

Lifting height is where the series stops being a simple capacity ladder. The CPD30 is rated for a standard and extended lifting height range of 3000 mm to 7000 mm. That range makes it the model to specify for high-racking configurations, and it also means the lift height must be stated in millimetres on the order — a CPD30 built for 3000 mm and a CPD30 built for 7000 mm are different machines serving different buildings.

For the CPD10, CPD20 and CPD35, the published configuration data does not fix a lift height range, so the correct action is to confirm the mast specification against the actual racking beam height and free lift requirement on the quotation rather than assume a value. Mast height, aisle width and floor load capacity should be confirmed together, because a taller mast changes both the truck envelope and the building interface.

Parameter 3 — Battery configuration and battery access

All four models are battery-powered electric drive, with a heavy-duty lead-acid battery as the standard configuration and a lithium battery available as an option. Both configurations are described as supporting long continuous working hours. The selection question is not which chemistry is newer, but which chemistry matches the charging windows the site actually has.

• Opportunity charging favours lithium. Opportunity charging in 15–30 minute top-ups does not degrade lithium-ion cycle life, whereas it significantly harms lead-acid battery longevity, according to Toyota Forklifts. A site that wants to charge during breaks is therefore designing around lithium.
• Cold environments favour lithium. Lithium-ion batteries in cold storage applications down to -20 degrees Celsius retain significantly more capacity than lead-acid batteries, according to Mordor Intelligence — relevant for cold-chain fruit and vegetable wholesale operations.
• Access design decides swap time. The CPD35 uses a lateral side battery extraction layout, which supports service access on heavy-load fleets. On any multi-shift site, battery extraction method should be confirmed alongside chemistry.

Battery configuration is also a customisation lever: low-temperature and explosion-proof refitting are offered as OEM modifications, so a cold-store or chemically classified area should be raised at the specification stage rather than after the order.

Parameter 4 — Controller brand options: SANTROLL, CURTIS, INMOTION, ZAPI

Controller brand is the parameter buyers most often leave unspecified, and it is one of the few that is genuinely a choice rather than a rating. The CPD10, CPD20, CPD30 and CPD35 are all offered with controller brand options of SANTROLL, CURTIS, INMOTION or ZAPI, described as a reliable, stable control system. The CPD20 additionally lists an internationally sourced well-known brand controller as its control unit.

Because the controller governs diagnostics and fault reading, the selection criterion is service capability rather than brand prestige: match the controller to the diagnostic tools, technician familiarity and spare-part route the buyer will actually have after delivery. Whatever is chosen should be written into the order as a named item, because a line that reads only brand options on a datasheet is not a confirmed configuration.

Parameter 5 — Motor, drive and operator-assist systems

Motor type does not separate the four models — all use a brushless AC drive and pump motor, described as high efficiency with low maintenance cost. What separates them is the drive layout and the operator-assist package layered on top.

• CPD20 — automation for indoor routes. High-power front dual drive motors, electric steering with cargo-sensing smooth control, and an automatic electromagnetic parking brake with AI brake assist. For repetitive dock-to-rack cycles, steering effort and parking-brake behaviour are the two things an operator touches most often.
• CPD30 — power delivery and operator feedback. A high-power electric drive system with intelligent MOSFET, a large-angle adjustable steering wheel, voice prompts, and a large-flow cyclone air filter system. The air filtration detail matters in dusty workshops where the truck shares the floor with production.
• CPD35 — heavy-load efficiency control. Front wheel dual drive motors, P.E.S three-speed efficiency regulation, an ergonomic right-positioned hydraulic valve layout, and lateral side battery extraction. Right-positioned control valves shorten hydraulic movements during repeated attachment work; three-speed regulation lets the same truck be run in different efficiency modes across a mixed route.

Step-by-step: a seven-step parameter sequence for a CPD10–CPD35 order

1. Fix the load, not the pallet label. Record pallet weight and load dimensions, and declare any attachment — fork positioner, side shifter or approved clamp — because attachment compatibility and rated residual capacity must be assessed before a capacity class is finalised.
2. Fix the lift height in millimetres. Take the racking beam height and free lift requirement. If the answer falls inside 3000 mm to 7000 mm, the CPD30 is the model with a published range; if it does not, confirm the mast specification on the quotation.
3. Count shifts and charging windows. Single-shift operation with a full recharge window points to a heavy-duty lead-acid pack; multi-shift operation with break-time top-ups points to lithium. Confirm battery extraction method at the same time.
4. Choose the drive and steering package by route. Tight indoor dock-to-rack cycles favour the CPD20 with electric steering and AI brake assist. Heavy or mixed indoor-outdoor routes favour the CPD35 with front wheel dual drive motors and P.E.S three-speed regulation.
5. Lock the controller brand. Select SANTROLL, CURTIS, INMOTION or ZAPI against local diagnostic capability, and confirm it as a named line item.
6. Check the site interface. Confirm charger voltage, aisle width, floor capacity, dock leveler, pallet racking and warehouse management system; for mixed routes also assess surface condition, slope, weather exposure and load dimensions.
7. Confirm documentation and commercial terms. Verify the certification set, the 100 percent test before shipment, the minimum order quantity of 2 units, the 30-day lead time, and the scope of any OEM customisation such as capacity adjustment, low-temperature or explosion-proof refitting, branded appearance and intelligent system reservation.

Use cases: matching CPD10–CPD35 to real projects

Light-duty warehouse and e-commerce fulfilment

The CPD10 moves light pallets between docks, staging areas and storage locations on level floors with no tailpipe exhaust at the point of use. The CPD20 is suited to light-duty warehouse fleet deployment and requires supporting equipment such as pallet racking, dock leveler, charger and warehouse management system. Operation can be single- or multi-shift depending on the battery and charging plan.

High-racking 3-tonne handling

Where the racking demands both a 3000 kg load class and a lift height inside the 3000 mm to 7000 mm range, the CPD30 is the model whose published parameters cover both. Its intelligent MOSFET high-power drive system and large-angle adjustable steering wheel are relevant where the operator works long shifts in a fixed aisle pattern.

Building materials and heavy industrial goods

Heavy pallet handling across workshops, yards and loading bays involves indoor and outdoor mixed routes subject to site assessment. The CPD35 supports this through a front dual-drive layout and side battery extraction, with matched equipment such as a loading dock, charging area, fork positioner, side shifter or approved clamp attachment. Surface condition, slope, weather exposure, load dimensions, attachment compatibility and rated residual capacity all need to be assessed before the order is placed.

Electronics manufacturing in enclosed clean areas

A documented case describes an electronics manufacturer in an industrial park using a bulk fleet, with the exact unit count not disclosed, for component, work-in-process and finished-goods logistics. The outcome recorded is improved material-flow efficiency and the removal of tailpipe exhaust from enclosed clean production areas, supported by coordinated bulk delivery and fleet configuration for electronics manufacturing routes.

Cold chain and food operations

Cold storage is a battery question first. Lithium-ion packs retain significantly more capacity than lead-acid in cold storage applications down to -20 degrees Celsius, according to Mordor Intelligence, which is why the food industry segment is growing at a projected 11.6% CAGR in that analysis. The CPD30 and CPD35 are the two load classes most often discussed for chilled warehouse and cold-chain fruit and vegetable work, and low-temperature refitting is available as an OEM customisation.

Chemically classified environments

Explosion-proof refitting is offered as an OEM modification for sites where standard trucks cannot be used. Inside the European Union, ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU is mandatory for electric forklifts used in explosive atmospheres, according to the European Commission, so the conformity route should be confirmed project by project rather than assumed from a capacity class.

CPD10–CPD35 comparison on verified parameters

The table below lists only parameters that appear in the published configuration data. Cells marked as confirm-on-quotation are parameters that are not fixed for that model in the source data and must be specified at order stage.

FAQ: CPD series selection and procurement questions

Conclusion: parameter discipline beats brochure claims

The CPD10, CPD20, CPD30 and CPD35 are easiest to compare when the shared rows are set aside. Capacity defines the class: 1000 kg, 2000 kg, 3000 kg and 3500 kg. Lift height defines the building: the CPD30 publishes a 3000 mm to 7000 mm range, and the other models are confirmed against the racking. Battery configuration defines the shift pattern, with heavy-duty lead-acid as standard and lithium optional including lateral side extraction on the CPD35. Controller brand defines the service route, with SANTROLL, CURTIS, INMOTION and ZAPI as the options. And the drive and operator-assist package — electric steering with AI brake assist on the CPD20, intelligent MOSFET drive and voice prompts on the CPD30, dual drive motors with P.E.S regulation and right-positioned hydraulic valves on the CPD35 — defines the duty cycle the truck is built for.

A buyer who states those five parameters in writing, together with attachment, surface and charging conditions, gets a quotation that can be checked against the site. A buyer who states only a tonnage gets a price that cannot.