The electric forklift is normally the most ideal option for indoor operations in warehouses and manufacturing settings. This is mainly due to 2 reasons with the first being that they create zero emissions. This is an extremely essential factor to consider for indoor work places. Amongst the IC or internal combustion units, just the propane-fueled units can be used indoors and these units still need extremely good ventilation. Units that work on diesel and gas can not be utilized indoors under any circumstances.
The primary benefit of electric forklifts is fuel costs. Compared to IC or internal combustion models, these have lower expenses per hour. Among the main disadvantages to utilizing the electric forklifts is their higher initial cost. Brand new electric forklifts can range from 20 percent to 40% more compared to internal combustion models which are similarly rated.
On the other hand, electric lift trucks provide numerous advantages including quiet operation. This is a big plus for indoor applications. In addition, no requirement for fuel storage mean no room has to be allotted for tanks of flammable and dangerous fuels. Because electric forklifts have less moving components than IC units, and they are usually used inside and in cleaner settings, they tend to have a longer overall lifespan.
The electric lift trucks biggest disadvantage is the batteries downtime. The large and very heavy, lead acid batteries are somewhat similar to the ones now found inside automobiles. These batteries are extremely strong and very large. Typically, batteries offer enough power for one standard 8-hour shift, and this means 5 or 6 hours of nonstop use.
Initially, charging a forklift battery takes approximately 8 hours. After the charging process is done, an additional 8 hours of cooling time is required before it could be used. Because of this long process of extra cooling time and slow charging speed, if you need lift trucks for 2 or 3 shift operations, you would need to purchase extra batteries so you can be charging the nest battery always. These additional batteries would add around $1000 to $2000 to buy.
There are some new fast charge electric lift trucks on the market. These specialized batteries have changed the electric lift truck business. Their charging can be completed in the course of lunch and coffee breaks, allowing them to return to work much faster.