The electric forklift is usually the most ideal option for indoor use in manufacturing and warehousing environments. This is mostly due to 2 reasons with the first being that they create zero emissions. This is a very vital factor to consider for indoor work places. Among the IC or internal combustion units, just the propane-fueled units are able to be utilized indoors and these units still need really good ventilation. Models which run on gas and diesel are not able to be utilized indoors under any circumstances.
Fuel cost is the other primary benefit of electric lift trucks. These models have lower cost per hour as opposed to any of the other IC or internal combustion models. Amongst the main disadvantages to utilizing the electric forklifts is their higher initial cost. New electric forklifts can range from 20 percent to 40% more than internal combustion units which are rated the same.
However, electric lift trucks provide many advantages including quiet operation. This is a huge plus for indoor operations. Furthermore, no requirement for fuel storage mean no room needs to be allotted for tanks of flammable and dangerous fuels. Because electric lift trucks have less parts that move than IC units, and they are normally utilized indoors and in cleaner settings, they tend to have a longer overall lifespan.
The electric lift trucks biggest downside is the batteries downtime. The big and very heavy, lead acid batteries are quite like the ones now found inside automobiles. These batteries are really big and extremely strong. Usually, batteries offer enough power for one regular 8-hour shift, and this translates into 5 or 6 hours of continuous use.
Initially, 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 can be utilized. Due to this long process of slow charging speed and additional cooling time, if you require lift trucks for 2 or 3 shift operations, you should purchase additional batteries so you could always be charging the next battery. These extra batteries will add around $1000 to $2000 to the acquisition price.
There are some new fast charge electric forklifts available on the market. These specialized batteries have revolutionized the electric lift truck industry. Their charging could be completed during the course of lunch and coffee breaks, allowing them to return to work much faster.