New high for Iveco Daily

Nifty-Lift, a Victorian-based designer and manufacturer of elevated work platforms (EWPs), has partnered with Iveco to produce what it says is the tallest commercially available mobile cherry picker in Australia able to be driven on a car licence.

The business specialises in mobile EWPs that can be mounted on utes and trucks, which can provide solutions for a wide range of working-at-height issues.

Its latest offering sees a Ruthman Steiger TB270 mated to an Iveco Daily chassis, giving a 27m working height, 14.8m of side reach and a 230kg basket capacity.

"Drawing on the model range of our German partner Ruthmann, we developed a truck-EWP combination in response to a clear gap identified in the Australian market – that being a distinct lack of super-tall EWPs available on an Australian car licence," says Kevin Power, General Manager at Nifty-Lift.

"A number of competitor models were reviewed, though none of them had the payload and wheelbase we were looking for. We realised the only option that would work was the Iveco Daily 45C cab chassis. At 4495kg GVM it had the ideal GVM, low tare weight and ideal wheelbase – from an engineering perspective the perfect fit for the EWP we've added onto its back."

This particular Daily is powered by a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel good, with peak output of 125kW and 430Nm fed through a six-speed manual transmission.

"Driving the Iveco Daily, you honestly wouldn't be able to tell that it was carrying a massive EWP model," says Mr Power.

"With power steering it's so manoeuvrable and easy to drive; almost like getting around in a small car. Then there's the comfort factor. The driver's cabin has a very plush interior with ergonomic seats."

Having just completed a sales roadshow, Kevin said Nifty-Lift had high hopes for the model from positive feedback received from potential clients in the telecommunication and hire industries.

"It's been great being out on the road not only promoting this innovation but the Iveco Daily as well, and we're hoping the market will have huge demand for our unique, novel combination," he said.

"The unit is suitable for contractors, signage installers and the tree trimming industry, amongst others. Being on a car licence will also allow hire companies to open up their customer base for a self-drive or 'dry hire' as it's known in the hire industry

"This is the first time an EWP of this size has been available for a vehicle on a car licence to the Australian and New Zealand market, and we're proud to be able to partner with Iveco to make this engineering concept a reality."