Normally, electric forklifts are the best choice for indoor use within manufacturing and warehousing operations for 2 main reasons: First off they create zero emissions. This is a really important factor to consider for indoor work places. Amongst the IC or internal combustion models, just the propane-fueled models are able to be used indoors and these units still need extremely good ventilation. Models which run on gas and diesel can not be utilized inside under any circumstances.
Fuel cost is the other primary advantage of electric lift trucks. These models have lower cost per hour compared to any of the other internal combustion or IC models. Among the main disadvantages to using the electric forklifts is their higher initial cost. New electric forklifts could range from 20% to 40% more compared to internal combustion models which are similarly rated.
However, electric forklifts provide many advantages including quiet operation. This is a big plus for indoor applications. In addition, no requirement for fuel storage mean no room needs to be allotted for tanks of fuels that are flammable and dangerous. Because electric lift trucks have less components that move as opposed to internal combustion units, and they are usually utilized in cleaner environments and indoors, they tend to have a longer lifespan overall.
The battery downtime is the biggest downside of an electric lift truck. These units run with heavy, big, lead-acid batteries, similar to those found inside your automobile. These batteries are very large and really strong. Usually, batteries provide enough power for one regular 8-hour shift, and this translates into 5 or 6 hours of continuous utilization.
Initially, charging a lift truck battery takes roughly 8 hours. After the charging process is done, an additional 8 hours of cooling time is needed before it can be used. Due to this long method of slow charging speed and additional cooling time, if you need forklifts for 2 or 3 shift operations, you must buy extra batteries so you can be charging the nest battery always. These additional batteries would add around $1000 to $2000 to purchase.
On the market nowadays, there are a few new fast charge electric forklifts. These fast charge batteries have revolutionized the industry of electric lift trucks. Their charging could be done in the course of coffee and lunch breaks, enabling them to get back to work a lot faster.