Electric forklift models make up almost 60 percent of the lift truck market. These units are powered by heavy, large lead-acid batteries which that prevents the machinery from tipping over as it gives it the counterweight.
Based on ITA, electric counterbalanced lift trucks are considered Class 1 forklifts. Class 1 is the category that includes all stand-up counterbalanced trucks and other electric lift trucks. Although the first investment when purchasing an electric lift truck is more compared to an internal combustion or IC truck, electric lift trucks are a lot less costly to run and operate in the long-run. This is due to lesser fuel and maintenance expenses, than the IC or internal combustion models.
Within North America, the majority of electric rider lift trucks are made for moving materials indoors. Electric rider lift trucks are used most commonly in retail spaces, and warehousing applications. The electric models are the right choice for inside use as they make less noise and emit zero toxic emissions.
Also, electric lift truck can normally work a complete 8 hour shift on one battery charge. Recharging, reloading and removing batteries, that roughly weigh approximately 3000 pounds could be time consuming and hard. This cumbersome task often needs a dedicated space for battery handling. However, new fast charging technologies are being utilized to change the procedure and update this process to be able to accomplish it in a much quicker way.
Fast charging technologies are considered the best charging technologies. It has revolutionized electric unit forklifts and the time it takes to charge their batteries. The material handling business experts, state that these new developments within the battery technology and battery charging systems could reduce charging time by up to 50 percent!
IC Counterbalanced Lift Trucks
Internal combustion lift trucks depend on a variety of different kinds of fuels, including liquid propane gas or LPG, diesel, compressed natural gas or CNG and gasoline. The larger forklifts are usually used outside. Normally, these models are gas or diesel powered and utilizes pneumatic or air-filled tires in order to make them appropriate for rough environment and steep inclines, compared to cushion tires. Cushion tires are better suited for smooth services and indoor use as they are made from solid rubber.
The most common fuel choice for indoor trucks is LPG. There are over 600,000 propane-filled forklifts today that are operating within DCs and in warehouses. These units provide various benefits. For example, forklifts that operate on propane fuel maintain 100% constant power during operation. Additionally, these units offer faster ground speeds as opposed to other power sources.