The electric lift truck is generally the best alternative for indoor operations in manufacturing and warehousing environments. This is mostly due to 2 reasons with the first being that they produce zero emissions. This is a very vital factor to consider for indoor work places. Amongst the Internal Combustion or IC units, just the propane-fueled models are able to be utilized indoors and these models still need really good ventilation. Models which work on gas and diesel could not be used indoors under any circumstances.
The main benefit of electric forklifts is fuel costs. Compared to internal combustion or IC models, these have lower expenses per hour. One of the main disadvantages to the electric forklifts is their higher initial cost. New electric lift trucks could vary from 20 percent to 40% more compared to internal combustion models which are similarly rated.
Electric forklifts however, offer numerous benefits like quiet operations, that can be a big plus for indoor environments. Furthermore, no requirement for fuel storage mean no room needs to be allotted for tanks of fuels that are dangerous and flammable. As electric lift trucks have less moving parts as opposed to internal combustion models, and they are normally used indoors and within cleaner settings, they tend to have a longer overall lifespan.
The battery downtime is the biggest downside of an electric forklift. These models run with heavy, large, lead-acid batteries, like the ones found in your automobile. These batteries are extremely large and really powerful. Usually, batteries provide sufficient power for one regular 8-hour shift, and this translates into 5 or 6 hours of nonstop use.
Originally, charging a forklift battery takes about 8 hours. After the charging process is completed, an additional 8 hours of cooling time is required before it could be utilized. Because of this long process of slow charging speed and additional cooling time, if you need lift trucks for 2 or 3 shift operations, you must purchase extra batteries so you can be charging the nest battery always. These additional batteries would add roughly $1000 to $2000 to buy.
There are a few new fast charge electric forklifts available on the market. These specialized batteries have revolutionized the electric forklift industry. Their charging could be completed in the course of coffee and lunch breaks, enabling them to return to work a lot faster.