Normally, electric lift trucks are the best option for indoor use within manufacturing and warehousing applications for 2 major reasons: First off they produce zero emissions. This is an extremely important factor to consider for indoor work places. Out of the IC or internal combustion models, just the propane-fueled models could be utilized inside and these models still need really good ventilation. Models which run on gas and diesel could not be utilized indoors under any circumstances.
The main advantage of electric forklifts is fuel expenses. Compared to internal combustion or IC models, these have less costs per hour. Among the main disadvantages to the electric forklifts is their higher initial expense. New electric lift trucks can range from 20% to 40 percent more compared to IC models that are similarly rated.
On the other hand, electric forklifts provide many benefits including quiet operation. This is a huge plus for indoor applications. In addition, no fuel storage needs mean no room has to be allotted for tanks of fuels that are both flammable and dangerous. As electric forklifts have less moving parts than IC models, and they are typically utilized within cleaner settings and indoors, they tend to have a longer overall lifespan.
The battery downtime is the biggest disadvantage of an electric lift truck. These units function with heavy, large, lead-acid batteries, like the ones found in your automobile. These batteries are really big and extremely strong. Usually, batteries offer enough power for one standard 8-hour shift, and this translates into 5 or 6 hours of nonstop use.
Initially, charging a forklift battery takes roughly 8 hours. After the charging process is completed, an extra 8 hours of cooling time is required before it could be utilized. Because of this long process of slow charging speed and extra cooling time, if you need lift trucks for 2 or 3 shift operations, you should purchase additional batteries so you could always be charging the next battery. These additional batteries will add roughly $1000 to $2000 to purchase.
There are some new fast charge electric forklifts on the market. These specialized batteries have revolutionized the electric lift truck business. Their charging could be completed in the course of coffee and lunch breaks, enabling them to get back to work a lot faster.