Generally, electric lift trucks are the best alternative for indoor use in manufacturing and warehousing operations for 2 key reasons: First off they produce zero emissions. This is an extremely essential factor to consider for indoor work places. Amongst the IC or internal combustion units, only the propane-fueled units could be used inside and these models still need really good ventilation. Models that run on diesel and gas can not be utilized indoors under any circumstances.
Fuel cost is the other main benefit of electric forklifts. These models have less cost per hour compared to any of the other internal combustion or IC models. Among the main drawbacks to utilizing the electric forklifts is their higher initial cost. New electric forklifts could vary from 20 percent to 40 percent more compared to IC models that are rated the same.
Electric lift trucks on the other hand, provide many advantages such as quiet operations, that can be a big plus for indoor settings. Additionally, no fuel storage needs mean no room has to be allotted for tanks of fuels that are dangerous and flammable. As electric lift trucks have less moving components as opposed to internal combustion units, and they are usually utilized inside and in cleaner settings, 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 the ones now found inside automobiles. These batteries are extremely big and really powerful. Usually, batteries provide sufficient power for one standard 8-hour shift, and this translates into 5 or 6 hours of continuous use.
Charging a lift truck battery will take about 8 hours. An extra 8 hours of cooling time is needed before it can be used after the charging process is completed. Due to this long method of slow charging speed and additional cooling time, if you need lift trucks for 2 or 3 shift operations, you should buy extra batteries so you can always be charging the next battery. These extra batteries will add roughly $1000 to $2000 to buy.
On the market these days, there are several new fast charge electric forklifts. These fast charge batteries have changed the industry of electric forklifts. Their charging can be completed during the course of coffee and lunch breaks, allowing them to get back to work a lot faster.