Usually, electric forklifts are the most ideal option for indoor use within manufacturing and warehousing operations for 2 major reasons: First off they create zero emissions. This is a really important factor to consider for indoor work places. Among the Internal Combustion or IC models, just the propane-fueled units are able to be used inside and these units still require extremely good ventilation. Models that run on diesel and gas could not 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. Among the main disadvantages to using the electric forklifts is their higher initial cost. New electric lift trucks could range from 20 percent to 40 percent more than IC models that are rated the same.
On the other hand, electric lift trucks offer numerous advantages like quiet operation. This is a huge plus for indoor applications. Additionally, no need for fuel storage mean no room needs to be allotted for tanks of flammable and dangerous fuels. Since electric forklifts have less components that move compared to IC units, and they are usually used within cleaner settings and inside, they tend to have a longer lifespan overall.
The electric forklifts biggest downside is the batteries downtime. The big and very heavy, lead acid batteries are somewhat similar to the ones now found inside automobiles. These batteries are very powerful and very big. Usually, batteries offer sufficient power for one standard 8-hour shift, and this translates into 5 or 6 hours of continuous use.
Charging a lift truck battery would take roughly 8 hours. An extra 8 hours of cooling time is needed before it can be used after the charging process is completed. Due to this long method of slow charging speed and extra cooling time, if you require forklifts for 2 or 3 shift operations, you must purchase additional batteries so you could be charging the nest battery always. These additional batteries will add roughly $1000 to $2000 to the purchase price.
There are a few new fast charge electric lift trucks available on the market. These specialized batteries have revolutionized the electric forklift business. Their charging can be completed in the course of coffee and lunch breaks, enabling them to get back to work much faster.