Normally, electric forklifts are the most ideal option for indoor use within manufacturing and warehousing applications for 2 major reasons: First off they produce zero emissions. This is an extremely essential factor to take into account for indoor work places. Amongst the IC or internal combustion models, just the propane-fueled models can be used inside and these units still need really good ventilation. Units which work on diesel and gas are not able to be utilized indoors under any circumstances.
The primary benefit of electric forklifts is fuel costs. Compared to IC or internal combustion models, these have lower expenses per hour. Amongst the main disadvantages to using the electric forklifts is their higher initial cost. New electric forklifts could vary from 20 percent to 40% more compared to IC units which are rated the same.
However, electric forklifts offer many benefits including quiet operation. This is a big plus for indoor applications. Additionally, no need 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 parts that move compared to internal combustion models, and they are typically utilized in cleaner environments and inside, they tend to have a longer overall lifespan.
The electric lift trucks biggest disadvantage is the batteries downtime. The big and really heavy, lead acid batteries are somewhat like those now found in cars. These batteries are really powerful and really large. Typically, batteries provide enough power for one standard 8-hour shift, and this means 5 or 6 hours of nonstop use.
Charging a lift truck battery would take about 8 hours. An additional 8 hours of cooling time is required before it could be used after the charging process is completed. Because of this long process of extra cooling time and slow charging speed, if you require forklifts for 2 or 3 shift operations, you should buy additional batteries so you could always be charging the next battery. These extra batteries would add about $1000 to $2000 to buy.
On the market today, there are several new fast charge electric forklifts. These fast charge batteries have revolutionized the industry of electric forklifts. Their charging could be done during the course of coffee and lunch breaks, allowing them to return to work much faster.