Electric lift truck models make up almost 60 percent of the lift truck market. These units are powered by huge, heavy lead-acid batteries which give the equipment it's counterweight in order to prevent it from tipping over.
Based on ITA, electric counterbalanced lift trucks are considered Class 1 forklifts. Class 1 is the category which covers all stand-up counterbalanced trucks and other electric lift trucks. Though the initial investment when you purchase an electric forklift is more than an internal combustion or IC lift truck, electric trucks are a lot less expensive to run and operate in the long-run. This is because of lesser maintenance and fuel costs, compared to the internal combustion or IC units.
Most of the electric rider forklift trucks shipped in North America is designed for moving material inside. They are usually utilized in warehousing applications, and retail spaces. The electric units are the best option for inside use because of their ability to emit zero toxic emissions and make less noise.
Furthermore, electric lift truck can normally run a complete 8 hour shift on one battery charge. Recharging, reloading and removing batteries, which generally weigh around 3000 pounds can be time consuming and hard. This burdensome task often requires a dedicated area for handling the battery. Nonetheless, new fast charging technologies are now used to update this method and change the procedure to be able to accomplish it in a a lot quicker way.
This fast charging technology is considered to be enhanced charging technology. It has revolutionized electric unit forklifts and the time it takes to charge their batteries. The professionals of the material handling industry, state that these new changes within the battery technology and battery charging systems could lessen charging time by up to 50%!
Internal Combustion Counterbalanced Lift Trucks
Internal combustion lift trucks depend on a variety of different types of fuels, such as LPG or liquid propane gas, diesel, compressed natural gas or CNG and gasoline. The larger forklifts are commonly used outdoors. Generally, these units operate on diesel or gas and utilizes pneumatic or air-filled tires so as to make them suitable for rough environment and steep slopes, compared to cushion tires. Cushion tires are better suited for indoor applications and smooth services because they are made from solid rubber.
The LPG unit is the most common fuel choice for indoor trucks. Today, there are over 600,000 propane-filled forklifts operating all over the globe. These models offer a huge range of advantages. Like for example, forklifts which operate on propane fuel maintain 100 percent constant power during operation. Furthermore, these units offer faster ground speeds than other power sources.