Generally, electric forklifts are the most ideal option for indoor use within warehouses and manufacturing applications for 2 main reasons: First off they create zero emissions. This is an extremely vital factor to take into account for indoor work places. Out of the IC or internal combustion models, only the propane-fueled models could be utilized inside and these models still need extremely good ventilation. Gas and diesel powered models are not able to be utilized inside under any circumstances.
The main advantage of electric forklifts is fuel costs. As opposed to IC or internal combustion models, these have less expenses per hour. Amongst the main disadvantages to the electric forklifts is their higher initial expense. New electric forklifts could vary from 20% to 40% more than internal combustion models which are similarly rated.
However, electric forklifts offer numerous benefits including quiet operation. This is a huge plus for indoor applications. Moreover, no need for fuel storage mean no room has to be allotted for tanks of flammable and dangerous fuels. As electric lift trucks have less moving components than IC units, and they are normally utilized indoors and within cleaner environments, they tend to have a longer lifespan overall.
The electric forklifts biggest downside is the batteries downtime. The large and really heavy, lead acid batteries are somewhat like those now found inside cars. These batteries are extremely strong and really big. Usually, batteries provide an adequate amount of power for one standard 8-hour shift, and this means 5 or 6 hours of continuous utilization.
Originally, charging a forklift battery takes around 8 hours. After the charging process is completed, an additional 8 hours of cooling time is required before it could be utilized. Due to this long method of extra cooling time and slow charging speed, if you need forklifts for 2 or 3 shift operations, you will have to buy extra batteries so you can always be charging the next battery. These additional batteries will add approximately $1000 to $2000 to purchase.
There are some new fast charge electric lift trucks on the market. These specialized batteries have changed the electric forklift industry. Their charging can be completed during the course of lunch and coffee breaks, enabling them to get back to work much sooner.