Normally, electric forklifts are the best choice for indoor use in warehouses and manufacturing 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 Internal Combustion or IC models, just the propane-fueled models can be utilized inside and these models still require extremely good ventilation. Units that run on gas and diesel can not be used indoors under any circumstances.
The primary benefit of electric lift trucks is fuel expenses. Compared to internal combustion or IC models, these have lower expenses per hour. One of the main drawbacks to the electric forklifts is their higher initial cost. New electric lift trucks can vary from 20 percent to 40% more compared to IC models which are similarly rated.
On the other hand, electric lift trucks provide numerous benefits like quiet operation. This is a huge plus for indoor applications. Furthermore, 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 parts compared to IC models, and they are typically used in cleaner settings and inside, they tend to have a longer lifespan overall.
The electric forklifts biggest downside is the batteries downtime. The large and very heavy, lead acid batteries are quite like those now found inside automobiles. These batteries are really powerful and very large. Usually, batteries provide sufficient power for one regular 8-hour shift, and this means 5 or 6 hours of continuous utilization.
Charging a forklift battery will take approximately 8 hours. An extra 8 hours of cooling time is needed before it could be used after the charging process is completed. Due to this long method of slow charging speed and extra cooling time, if you require lift trucks for 2 or 3 shift operations, you should purchase additional batteries so you could be charging the nest battery always. These extra batteries will add roughly $1000 to $2000 to purchase.
There are some new fast charge electric lift trucks on the market. These specialized batteries have revolutionized the electric forklift industry. Their charging can be completed during the course of lunch and coffee breaks, enabling them to return to work a lot sooner.