Usually, electric forklifts are the best option for indoor use within manufacturing and warehousing operations for 2 major reasons: First off they produce zero emissions. This is a very vital factor to consider for indoor work places. Among the IC or internal combustion models, just the propane-fueled units are able to be utilized inside and these models still require really good ventilation. Units which run on diesel and gas are not able to be used indoors under any circumstances.
The primary advantage of electric forklifts is fuel expenses. As opposed to IC or internal combustion models, these have lower expenses per hour. One of the main disadvantages to the electric forklifts is their higher initial expense. New electric lift trucks can range from 20 percent to 40 percent more than internal combustion units that are rated the same.
However, electric lift trucks offer many advantages like quiet operation. This is a huge plus for indoor operations. Moreover, no fuel storage needs mean no room needs to be allotted for tanks of fuels that are both flammable and dangerous. Since electric lift trucks have less moving components than IC models, and they are normally used within cleaner environments and inside, they tend to have a longer overall lifespan.
The battery downtime is the biggest downside of an electric forklift. These models function with heavy, big, lead-acid batteries, similar to the ones found in your car. These batteries are extremely powerful and really large. Typically, batteries offer enough power for one regular 8-hour shift, and this means 5 or 6 hours of nonstop use.
Charging a lift truck battery would take approximately 8 hours. An extra 8 hours of cooling time is needed before it could be used after the charging process is done. Due to this long method of slow charging speed and extra cooling time, if you need lift trucks for 2 or 3 shift operations, you should purchase extra batteries so you could always be charging the next battery. These additional batteries would add approximately $1000 to $2000 to the purchase price.
There are some new fast charge electric forklifts available on the market. These specialized batteries have revolutionized the electric lift truck business. Their charging can be completed during the course of lunch and coffee breaks, allowing them to get back to work much faster.