Telehandlers Market Size, CAGR & Forecast, 2025-2035

Rental Fleet Renewal and Electric Models Are Lifting Telehandler Revenue After a Weak 2025 for Access Equipment

Telehandlers generated USD 8.45 Billion in global new-machine sales during 2025, a figure Radial Insights expects to rise to USD 8.86 Billion in 2026 and USD 13.57 Billion by 2035, compounding at 4.85% a year. Growth resumes from a soft base: Oshkosh's Access segment, home of JLG, saw 2025 net sales fall about 13% to USD 4.49 billion.

The telehandlers market, as defined here, covers new telescopic handlers sold to rental companies, contractors, farms and industrial users, including fixed-frame, compact and rotating machines with diesel, hybrid, battery-electric and hydrogen fuel-cell drives. Values are at manufacturer selling price. We exclude used machines, attachments sold separately, rough-terrain masted forklifts, aerial work platforms and loader cranes.

Three buyer groups shape demand. Rental companies in North America and Europe own the largest fleets: the top 30 North American rental firms held 94,710 telehandlers in 2025, against 92,893 a year earlier. Farms, mostly in Europe, use compact telehandlers as the main yard loader. Builders, mines and logistics sites in Asia, the Middle East and Africa are adopting telehandlers to replace cranes and forklifts on rough ground.

Electric and Hybrid propulsion is the fastest-growing segment at a 13.40% CAGR, from a small base, after Manitou, Dieci and Liebherr showed new battery and fuel-cell machines at bauma in April 2025. Asia Pacific (APAC) is the fastest-growing region at 6.90% a year, while Europe keeps the largest share at 37.60% in 2025.

Our forecast assumes a gradual recovery in non-residential construction, steady rental fleet replacement and a rising share of high-reach rotating models. Manitou's first-half 2026 revenue rose 12% to EUR 1.43 billion, and the group raised its 2026 growth guidance to 6.5% to 8%, an early sign that the cycle has turned.

Electric, Rotating and High-Reach Telehandlers Outgrow the Diesel Fixed-Frame Core

Most telehandlers market revenue still comes from diesel fixed-frame machines, but faster growth sits at the edges of the range: very compact units for farms and indoor work, and very tall rotating units that replace small cranes. Radial Insights publishes segment growth rates only, without segment values or shares.

Rotating Machines Grow at 6.05% as Contractors Replace Small Cranes

Rotating telehandlers, such as the Manitou MRT 4070 with a 130 ft lift height and 7 tonne capacity shown at bauma 2025, combine telehandler, crane and aerial platform functions in one machine. They grow at 6.05% a year because European and Middle Eastern contractors use them to cut the number of machines on site. Fixed-frame telehandlers grow at 4.30% and remain the workhorse of North American rental fleets, where JLG, SkyTrak and Genie models dominate.

Machines Above 20 m Grow Fastest by Lift Height at 5.45%

High-reach machines above 20 m grow at 5.45% as building heights and rooftop work increase. Liebherr's entry into the 8 m class with the T 48-8s, available to order from January 2026, shows the opposite end. The below 10 m class grows at 5.10%, driven by compact farm and landscaping demand such as Merlo's 1.5 tonne TF15.5 concept shown at Agritechnica in November 2025. The 10 to 20 m class grows at 4.60% and carries the bulk of rental volume.

Compact Units Below 3 Tonnes Grow at 5.25%

Compact telehandlers below 3 tonnes grow at 5.25% because farms, landscapers and indoor users replace skid steers and small wheel loaders with them. Units of 3 to 5 tonnes grow at 4.70%: Manitou's MT 1440e and MT 1840e electric machines both carry 4 tonnes. Heavy units above 5 tonnes grow at 4.55%, tied to infrastructure and mining projects.

Electric and Hybrid Drives Rise at 13.40% From a Small Base

Electric and hybrid telehandlers grow at 13.40% because city emissions zones, indoor work and rental customers' carbon targets favor zero-emission machines. Dieci's Apollo-e 26.6 uses a 44 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery, and Manitou's 63 kWh MT-e models target rental fleets. Diesel machines still grow at 3.85% because most sites lack charging and EU Stage V engines already meet current rules.

Industrial and Logistics Use Grows Fastest by End Use at 5.30%

Industrial and logistics users grow at 5.30% as warehouses, ports and plants adopt telehandlers for yard work. Agriculture grows at 4.95%, led by European and Australian farms. Construction, the largest end use, grows at 4.55% as non-residential building recovers, and mining and energy grows at 4.20%.

Market Trends

Battery and Fuel-Cell Machines Move From Prototype to Product Line

At bauma in April 2025, Manitou showed the all-electric MT 1440e and MT 1840e with 63 kWh batteries, plus the MRT 2260 H2 hydrogen fuel-cell prototype. Dieci showed the Apollo-e 26.6 with a 44 kWh battery and the Apollo-e Smart 20.4. These launches move electric telehandlers beyond the single-model stage and into full ranges that rental firms can standardize on.

Operator Assistance and Collision Detection

Dieci's Pegasus Elite, shown in March 2025 ahead of bauma, uses its D+Vision artificial intelligence system to detect people and obstacles. Collision detection matters because telehandlers often work near ground crews with limited visibility. We expect such systems to move from premium options to standard equipment on rental-grade rotating machines before 2030.

Chinese Manufacturers Target Western Rental Fleets

In March 2026 at ConExpo, SANY America launched the STH634A, rated 6,000 lb with a 34 ft lift, and the STH5519A, rated 5,500 lb with a 19 ft lift, both using Deutz Tier 4 Final engines. SANY had also previewed new telehandlers for bauma 2025. Lower pricing from Chinese makers is pressuring margins on mid-range fixed-frame machines in North America.

Localized Production in the United States

JCB is completing a 1 million square foot plant in San Antonio, Texas, first announced as a USD 500 million project in June 2024 and since expanded to about USD 1 billion, to build Loadall telehandlers and access equipment. Local production cuts exposure to tariffs, which became a larger issue after the expanded Section 232 steel tariffs from August 2025 hit Terex's fourth-quarter Aerials margin.

Restraints and Challenges

Weak Non-Residential Construction in the United States

US Census Bureau data show total construction spending of USD 2,164.4 billion in 2025, down 1.4% from USD 2,194.8 billion in 2024, according to the December 2025 construction spending release. Oshkosh cited continued weakness in non-residential construction for its Access segment in 2026. Telehandler demand follows commercial and industrial building starts with a lag of six to twelve months.

Margin Pressure From Tariffs and Steel Costs

Terex reported Aerials net sales of USD 2.06 billion for 2025, down 14.5%, with operating profit falling to USD 103 million from USD 271 million. The company said expanded Section 232 tariffs from August 2025 hurt fourth-quarter margins. Steel is the largest material input in a telehandler boom and chassis, so tariff swings move costs quickly.

Stricter EU Machinery Safety Rules From 2027

The EU Machinery Regulation, Regulation (EU) 2023/1230, applies from 20 January 2027 and replaces the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. It adds requirements for software, connected functions and autonomous features, which raises engineering and certification costs for every European model.

High Upfront Cost of Electric Machines

Battery telehandlers cost much more than diesel equivalents, and rental firms must invest in site charging. With North American rental fleets near 95,000 units for the top 30 companies alone, the installed diesel base will take more than a decade to turn over, which limits the speed of electric adoption.

Growth Drivers

Rental Fleet Expansion and Replacement

Rental companies are the largest telehandler buyers in North America and Europe. The top 30 North American rental firms held 94,710 telehandlers in 2025, led by United Rentals with 36,500 units, Sunbelt with 28,000, Herc with 9,800 and H&E with 8,300. In October 2026, United Rentals raised its 2026 gross rental capital expenditure guidance to USD 5.2 billion to USD 5.5 billion, from USD 4.85 billion to USD 5.25 billion, and lifted revenue guidance to USD 18.0 billion to USD 18.2 billion. The American Rental Association expects the US construction, industrial and general tool rental market to grow 3.6% in 2026 to USD 83.5 billion. Because rental firms replace telehandlers on a cycle of roughly six to eight years, a fleet of this size creates steady replacement demand even when construction is flat. We estimate rental fleet renewal and growth add about +1.6% to the telehandlers market CAGR across 2025-2035.

Electrification Lifts Value per Unit

Manitou, Dieci, Liebherr and JCB now sell electric or hybrid telehandlers, and Manitou's hydrogen MRT 2260 H2 prototype points to zero-emission high-reach machines. Battery packs of 44 kWh to 63 kWh raise selling prices well above diesel equivalents, so each electric unit adds more revenue than a diesel one. Urban emissions zones in European cities and rental customers' Scope 3 reporting push adoption. The Electric and Hybrid segment grows at 13.40% a year, and we estimate electrification contributes close to 0.9 percentage points of annual telehandlers market growth through 2035.

Agricultural Mechanization and Farm Yard Handling

Farms in Europe, Australia and increasingly North America use telehandlers as the main loader for bales, feed and grain. JCB previewed new compact telehandlers at Agritechnica in November 2025, and Merlo showed its 1.5 tonne TF15.5 HyperCompact concept, due in 2027. CLAAS sells the Scorpion range through its farm dealer network. Agriculture grows at 4.95% a year in our forecast, and we estimate farm demand adds roughly 0.7 points to yearly growth, with the strongest effect in Europe and Asia Pacific (APAC).

Opportunities

Rotating Machines for Middle East Megaprojects

Large building programs in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates need machines that lift, place and work at height. Rotating telehandlers above 20 m can replace a small crane and a mast lift on these sites, and the Middle East grows at 5.60% a year.

Telematics and Fleet Services

Rental firms want utilization, location and safety data from every machine. Manufacturers that bundle telematics, remote diagnostics and operator training can earn recurring service revenue and lock in fleet customers.

Europe Leads on Share, but Asia Pacific Grows Fastest Through 2035

Asia Pacific (APAC)

Asia Pacific (APAC) held a 21.40% share of telehandlers revenue in 2025, worth USD 1.81 billion. The APAC market is forecast to reach USD 3.52 billion by 2035, growing at 6.90% a year, the fastest of any region. SANY and XCMG build telehandlers in China, and Australian farms are among the region's largest buyers of compact machines.

North America

North America accounted for 33.80% of revenue in 2025, equal to USD 2.86 billion, and is projected to reach USD 4.35 billion by 2035 at a 4.30% CAGR. North American top-30 rental fleets held 94,710 telehandlers in 2025, and JCB's San Antonio, Texas plant adds local production. US construction spending fell 1.4% to USD 2,164.4 billion in 2025.

Europe

Europe represented 37.60% of 2025 revenue, about USD 3.18 billion, the largest regional share. European revenue is expected to reach USD 4.66 billion by 2035 at a 3.90% CAGR. France-based Manitou reported 2025 revenue of EUR 2.56 billion, and Italian makers Merlo, Dieci, Magni and Faresin build most of Europe's rotating machines.

Latin America

Latin America held 3.90% of 2025 revenue, worth USD 0.33 billion, and is forecast to reach USD 0.54 billion by 2035 at a 5.10% CAGR. Brazilian agribusiness and Chilean and Peruvian mining sites account for most Latin American demand, where dealers often supply machines on long-term hire.

Middle East

The Middle East accounted for 2.10% of revenue in 2025, around USD 0.18 billion, and is projected to reach USD 0.31 billion by 2035 at 5.60% a year. Saudi Arabia's giga-projects and United Arab Emirates logistics hubs drive Middle East demand for rotating machines above 20 m.

Africa

Africa held 1.20% of 2025 revenue, about USD 0.10 billion, and is forecast to reach USD 0.19 billion by 2035, growing at 6.34% a year. South African mines and Moroccan and Egyptian infrastructure projects lead African purchases, often through dealer rental fleets.

Recent Developments

• In October 2026, JCB reported 2025 revenue of GBP 5.7 billion and 113,498 machines sold, as its USD 1 billion San Antonio, Texas plant for Loadall telehandlers neared opening.

• In August 2026, Manitou Group reported first-half 2026 revenue up 12% to EUR 1.43 billion and raised its full-year growth guidance to 6.5% to 8%.

• In March 2026, SANY America launched the STH634A and STH5519A telehandlers for the rental market at ConExpo-Con/Agg 2026.

• In January 2026, JLG showed its prototype 1043T Quad Track telehandler, rated 10,000 lb with a 43 ft 5 in lift height, at World of Concrete.

• In November 2025, Merlo unveiled the TF15.5 HyperCompact telehandler concept at Agritechnica, with launch planned for 2027.

• In April 2025, Manitou showed the MRT 4070 rotating telehandler, the electric MT 1440e and MT 1840e, and the MRT 2260 H2 hydrogen prototype at bauma.

JCB, Manitou and JLG Lead a Market Where Italian Specialists Own the Rotating Segment

The telehandlers market is moderately concentrated. Three groups, JCB, Manitou Group and Oshkosh's JLG, supply a large share of fixed-frame units to rental fleets, while Italian specialists dominate rotating and high-reach designs. Chinese makers are the newest entrants.

Global Volume Leaders

JCB sells the Loadall range, one of the best-known telehandler brands, and sold 113,498 machines of all types in 2025. Its new Texas plant will make JCB a local producer for North American rental firms. Manitou Group, based in France, reported 2025 revenue of EUR 2.56 billion and fourth-quarter new-equipment orders up 36.5% to EUR 726 million. Oshkosh Corporation sells JLG and SkyTrak telehandlers through its Access segment, which posted 2025 net sales of USD 4.49 billion.

North American Rental Suppliers

Terex Corporation sells Genie telehandlers alongside aerial platforms; its Aerials segment reported 2025 sales of USD 2.06 billion. Skyjack, owned by Linamar, and Doosan Bobcat serve rental fleets with fixed-frame models, and Caterpillar sells telehandlers through its dealer network.

European Rotating and Agricultural Specialists

Merlo is known for its Roto rotating range and compact farm models such as the TF15.5 concept. Dieci sells the Pegasus rotating range and the Apollo-e electric line. Magni and Faresin build high-reach rotating machines. Liebherr launched its Generation 6 telehandlers and the T 48-8s at bauma 2025. CLAAS sells Scorpion telehandlers to farms, and Wacker Neuson offers compact models under the Kramer brand.

Chinese Challengers

SANY launched two rental-focused telehandlers in the US in March 2026, and XCMG sells telehandlers in Asia and emerging markets. Both compete on price and are building dealer networks in North America and Europe.

What Separates Winners

Across all groups, three capabilities decide share: a dealer and parts network close to rental depots, a full range that lets a fleet buy fixed-frame, rotating and electric machines from one supplier, and residual values that hold up at resale. JCB, Manitou Group and Oshkosh Corporation score well on all three, which explains their lead in rental tenders, while Merlo and Dieci win where reach and rotation matter more than price.