Double Q on Friday announced its partnership with Anhui Heli Industrial Vehicle Imp. & Exp Co., Ltd., a renowned Chinese forklift brand, to unveil a range of Heli forklifts in Uganda. The launch coincided with the grand opening of Heli’s state-of-the-art showroom at Double Q Head Office in Busega, dedicated to showcasing the full range of Heli forklifts and material handling solutions.
The new range of forklifts offers versatile solutions tailored to diverse operational needs, featuring electric forklifts designed for sustainable and quiet operations, diesel and LPG forklifts built to deliver robust performance in demanding environments, and specialized material handling equipment suited for warehouses, logistics, and industrial applications.
The forklifts on offer vary not only by lifting capacity, from 1,000 kg for light warehouse tasks to 55,000 kg for heavy applications, but also by powertrain.
“You have gas charged forklifts, you have electric forklifts, and you have diesel forklifts,” Richard Musani, Head of Marketing at Double Q, told the press. “If you are limited in terms of power, you have a gas-charged forklift. If you are abundant in terms of electricity, you have an electric forklift. Then, if you cannot access the two, you can actually have a decent forklift.”
The timing of the launch aligns with national policy priorities. With Uganda emphasising industrialisation, Double Q positions its material-handling solutions as a natural fit for warehouses, logistics hubs, factories, and construction sites. “Being unveiled to the Ugandan market ties in very much well with the government’s industrialization plan, because we are your partner in terms of assisting you to move material,” Richard Musani, Head of Marketing at Double Q, told the press.
Environmental considerations were front and centre during the unveiling. In the new fleet were electric forklifts, which can carry loads of up to 5,000 kg and have a lift mast of 3 meters. They come with a five-year warranty and feature a 404Ah Lithium power unit with fast-charge capability, with a complete cycle time of four hours.
“Electric mobility offers sustainability for our environment. The future of this country is in e-mobility,” Musani said, adding that reducing combustion-engine emissions is part of the company’s rationale for pushing EV forklifts.
The electric model arrives at a moment when the country is visibly shifting toward e-mobility and low-carbon transport. The move is not just a product update; it signals how private sector choices can support national climate goals. Uganda’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) outlines concrete emissions-reduction ambitions and prioritizes transport among the key sectors for mitigation. The government and development partners are now rolling out frameworks and programs to track and accelerate these gains.
Electric forklifts bring immediate, practical benefits that matter to Ugandan warehouses and distribution centres: they produce zero tailpipe emissions during operation (improving indoor air quality), run quieter, and typically cost less per hour to operate because electricity and maintenance needs tend to be cheaper than for diesel or LPG machines.
The e-mobility momentum in Uganda, from electric motorbikes and buses to nascent local assembly and charging solutions, makes deploying electric material-handling equipment a logical next step for supply chains. Across Africa, manufacturers and logistics operators are already showing appetite for electric lift trucks as part of broader sustainability and efficiency drives, and regional market analyses point to accelerating adoption.
PICTORIAL OF THE LAUNCH: Double Q – Heli’s electric forklifts and new showroom
As Uganda strengthens its e-mobility infrastructure and NDC tracking for transport, businesses that adopt electric forklifts stand to cut local emissions, lower operating costs, and position themselves ahead of likely regulatory and market expectations.
To widen access, Double Q unveiled three payment routes for customers/businesses that want to purchase the forklifts. Its in-house financing (IHF) lets customers pay roughly 50% up front and spread the remaining 50% over 12 months. Alternatively, the company introduces clients to partner banks that can finance up to 80% thereafter a 10–20% deposit. For buyers with cash, an outright purchase remains an option. “The different payment options allow you to scale your budget,” Musani said.
Double Q has emphasized after-sales service as a key selling point, with Mr. Musani highlighting the company’s “fully fledged maintenance team” dedicated to routine servicing and customer support. He stressed that reliability and long service life are central to their value proposition, recalling how one customer used a forklift for 10 years without maintenance, an outcome that could be further improved with proper care and regular servicing.
Beyond maintenance, the company is also investing in training and certification. While operator instruction has typically been offered at delivery, Double Q now plans to expand this into larger certification programmes. “We are going to step it up to a big exercise where we get them in numbers and even certify them to operate this type of equipment,” Musani explained, positioning the initiative as both a service enhancement and a way to professionalize equipment operation.
As Uganda expands its manufacturing and logistics capacity, market participants say the availability of diverse, financeable, locally supported material-handling equipment will be an important enabler. Double Q’s broad product mix, coupled with training, maintenance, and flexible payment options, aims to make the transition from aspiration to operation easier for companies large and small.
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