The electric lift truck is usually the best choice for indoor applications in manufacturing and warehousing environments. This is mostly due to 2 reasons with the first being that they create zero emissions. This is an extremely vital factor to take into consideration for indoor work places. Amongst the Internal Combustion or IC units, only the propane-fueled units are able to be utilized indoors and these units still require really good ventilation. Units that run on gas and diesel are not able to be used indoors under any circumstances.
Fuel cost is the other primary advantage of electric lift trucks. These models have lower cost per hour as opposed to any of the other IC or internal combustion models. One of the main drawbacks to using the electric forklifts is their higher initial expense. Brand new electric forklifts could vary from 20 percent to 40% more compared to IC models that are similarly rated.
However, electric forklifts provide numerous advantages like quiet operation. This is a big plus for indoor operations. Moreover, no fuel storage requirements mean no room needs to be allotted for tanks of fuels that are both flammable and dangerous. As electric lift trucks have less moving components compared to internal combustion models, and they are normally utilized in cleaner environments and inside, they tend to have a longer overall lifespan.
The battery downtime is the biggest downside of an electric lift truck. These models function with heavy, big, lead-acid batteries, like those found inside your automobile. These batteries are very strong and extremely large. Usually, batteries offer enough power for one standard 8-hour shift, and this translates into 5 or 6 hours of nonstop use.
Originally, charging a forklift battery takes approximately 8 hours. After the charging process is completed, an extra 8 hours of cooling time is required before it could be utilized. Because of this long method of extra cooling time and slow charging speed, if you need lift trucks for 2 or 3 shift operations, you must purchase extra batteries so you could be charging the nest battery always. These additional batteries will add roughly $1000 to $2000 to the purchase price.
On the market today, there are a few new fast charge electric forklifts. These fast charge batteries have revolutionized the industry of electric forklifts. Their charging can be done in the course of lunch and coffee breaks, allowing them to return to work much faster.