Usually, electric lift trucks are the best alternative for indoor use within manufacturing and warehousing operations for 2 major reasons: First off they produce zero emissions. This is a very important factor to consider for indoor work places. Among the Internal Combustion or IC units, only the propane-fueled models can be utilized indoors and these models still need really good ventilation. Diesel and gas powered units can not be used indoors under any circumstances.
The main advantage of electric forklifts is fuel costs. Compared to IC or internal combustion units, these have lower costs per hour. Among the main disadvantages to utilizing the electric forklifts is their higher initial expense. Brand new electric forklifts could range from 20% to 40% more compared to IC units which are rated the same.
On the other hand, electric lift trucks offer numerous benefits including quiet operation. This is a huge plus for indoor applications. Moreover, no fuel storage needs mean no room has to be allotted for tanks of fuels that are dangerous and flammable. As electric lift trucks have less components that move than IC units, and they are typically used within cleaner environments and inside, they tend to have a longer overall lifespan.
The battery downtime is the biggest disadvantage of an electric forklift. These units function with heavy, big, lead-acid batteries, like the ones found inside your car. These batteries are really powerful and very large. Usually, batteries provide 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 roughly 8 hours. After the charging process is done, an additional 8 hours of cooling time is required before it can be used. Due to this long method of extra cooling time and slow charging speed, if you require forklifts for 2 or 3 shift operations, you should purchase additional batteries so you could always be charging the next battery. These extra batteries would add approximately $1000 to $2000 to purchase.
There are several new fast charge electric lift trucks on the market. These specialized batteries have changed the electric forklift business. Their charging can be done during the course of coffee and lunch breaks, enabling them to get back to work much faster.