The electric forklift is generally the best option for indoor operations within warehouses and manufacturing settings. This is mainly due to 2 reasons with the first being that they produce zero emissions. This is a very important factor to take into consideration for indoor work places. Out of the IC or internal combustion models, only the propane-fueled models are able to be utilized inside and these units still require extremely good ventilation. Units that work on gas and diesel are not able to be utilized inside under any circumstances.
The primary benefit of electric lift trucks is fuel costs. Compared to IC or internal combustion units, these have less expenses per hour. One of the main drawbacks to the electric forklifts is their higher initial cost. Brand new electric lift trucks can range from 20% to 40% more than IC units which are rated the same.
On the other hand, electric forklifts provide numerous advantages like quiet operation. This is a huge plus for indoor operations. In addition, no fuel storage needs mean no room needs to be allotted for tanks of fuels that are dangerous and flammable. As electric forklifts have less moving parts than IC models, and they are normally utilized indoors and in cleaner environments, they tend to have a longer overall lifespan.
The electric forklifts biggest disadvantage is the batteries downtime. The big and very heavy, lead acid batteries are quite like those now found inside cars. These batteries are really big and really powerful. Usually, batteries provide an adequate amount of power for one regular 8-hour shift, and this means 5 or 6 hours of continuous use.
Originally, charging a lift truck battery takes approximately 8 hours. After the charging process is done, an extra 8 hours of cooling time is needed before it could be utilized. Due to this long method of extra cooling time and slow charging speed, if you need lift trucks for 2 or 3 shift operations, you should purchase extra batteries so you can always be charging the next battery. These additional batteries would add approximately $1000 to $2000 to the acquisition price.
There are several new fast charge electric forklifts available on the market. These specialized batteries have changed the electric lift truck business. Their charging could be completed in the course of lunch and coffee breaks, enabling them to return to work much sooner.