Normally, electric forklifts are the best option for indoor use in manufacturing and warehousing applications for 2 main reasons: First off they produce zero emissions. This is an extremely essential factor to consider for indoor work places. Amongst the Internal Combustion or IC units, just the propane-fueled units could be used inside and these units still need extremely good ventilation. Diesel and gas powered units are not able to be utilized inside under any circumstances.
Fuel cost is the other main advantage of electric lift trucks. These units have less cost per hour as opposed to any of the other IC or internal combustion models. Amongst the main drawbacks to the electric forklifts is their higher initial cost. Brand new electric lift trucks could range from 20 percent to 40% more compared to internal combustion units that are similarly rated.
Electric lift trucks on the other hand, offer numerous benefits like quiet operations, which could be a big plus for indoor environments. In addition, no need for fuel storage mean no room needs to be allotted for tanks of dangerous and flammable fuels. As electric forklifts have less components that move than internal combustion units, and they are typically utilized inside and in cleaner environments, 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 somewhat like those now found inside cars. These batteries are really big and extremely strong. Typically, batteries provide an adequate amount of power for one standard 8-hour shift, and this means 5 or 6 hours of continuous utilization.
Originally, charging a forklift battery takes roughly 8 hours. After the charging process is completed, an extra 8 hours of cooling time is needed before it can be used. Due to this long process of extra cooling time and slow charging speed, if you need lift trucks for 2 or 3 shift operations, you will have to purchase additional batteries so you could always be charging the next battery. These additional batteries will add around $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 industry. Their charging could be done during the course of lunch and coffee breaks, enabling them to get back to work much faster.