TOKYO, Sep 27, 2019 - (JCN Newswire) - Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501) has announced that its elevator, which has been delivered to Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre, a skyscraper complex building in Guangzhou, People's Republic of China, received a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title as the world's fastest elevator(1) on September 10, and the presentation ceremony of the official certificate was held today. This elevator travels with a rated speed of 1,260 m/min(2) and connects the ground floor to the hotel lobby on the 95th floor in approx. 42sec, over a distance of 440 m.

In 1968, Hitachi developed an elevator with the speed of 300 m/min, the fastest in Japan at that time, and delivered it to Kasumigaseki Building, Japan's first skyscraper. Hitachi has continued to provide innovative products and services that support the advancement of urbanization. In China, Hitachi has operated its elevators and escalators business since 1980s. In 1995, it founded Hitachi Elevator (China) Co., Ltd.(3) (Hitachi Elevator China), a manufacturing, sales and service company for elevators and escalators. China's new elevators and escalators market has become the world's largest, where demand exceeds 500,000 units, which accounts for more than 50% of global demand. Hitachi Elevator China achieved the top share in the number of new elevators and escalators units ordered in China in 2018(4).

In 2012, working with Hitachi Building Systems Co., Ltd. (Hitachi Building Systems) and Hitachi Elevator China, Hitachi received an order for 151 elevators and escalators for Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre, and proceeded with the deliveries sequentially. Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre, one of the world class skyscraper complex buildings that is 530 m tall, constructed in Zhujiang New Town Central Business District, Guangzhou, China. The building consists of offices, serviced apartments, hotels and commercial facilities. On September 10, Rosewood Guangzhou, the hotel on 93F to 108F, started operation. In response to the beginning of operation of the elevator with the speed of 1,260 m/min connecting the first floor on the ground and the hotel lobby on 95F, it received a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title as the world's fastest elevator.

Moving forward, Hitachi will continue to utilize cutting-edge digital technology broadly to develop products and services and globally provide safe, secure and comfortable elevators and escalators as well as services that help resolve customers' various issues in urban spaces to contribute to the realization of a sustainable society.

(1) Official record name: The fastest lift (elevator)(2) 1,260 m/min = 75.6 km/h (47 mi/h) = 21 m/s(3) It was founded as Guangzhou Hitachi Elevator Co. Ltd., a fifty-fifty joint venture by the Hitachi Group and Guangzhou Guangri Group Co., Ltd. In 2004, it became a consolidated subsidiary of Hitachi (70% investment ratio). In 2007, its company name changed to Hitachi Elevator (China) Co., Ltd.(4) According to Hitachi's research as of September 2019

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, delivers innovations that answer society's challenges, combining its operational technology, information technology, and products/systems. The company's consolidated revenues for fiscal 2017 (ended March 31, 2018) totaled 9,368.6 billion yen ($88.4 billion). The Hitachi Group is an innovation partner for the IoT era, and it has approximately 307,000 employees worldwide. Through collaborative creation with customers, Hitachi is deploying Social Innovation Business using digital technologies in a broad range of sectors, including Power/Energy, Industry/Distribution/Water, Urban Development, and Finance/Social Infrastructure/Healthcare. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi.com.

Contact:Hitachi Ltd
Corporate Communications
Tel: +81-3-3258-1111

Copyright 2019 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.jcnnewswire.com