Generally, electric lift trucks are the best option for indoor use in manufacturing and warehousing operations for 2 major reasons: First off they create zero emissions. This is a very important factor to consider for indoor work places. Out of the IC or internal combustion models, only the propane-fueled units are able to be utilized inside and these units still need extremely good ventilation. Gas and diesel powered models are not able to be used indoors under any circumstances.
The main advantage of electric forklifts is fuel costs. Compared to internal combustion or IC models, these have less expenses per hour. Amongst the main disadvantages to the electric forklifts is their higher initial cost. Brand new electric forklifts can range from 20 percent to 40% more compared to internal combustion models which are rated the same.
Electric lift trucks on the other hand, offer many advantages like quiet operations, that could be a big plus for indoor settings. Furthermore, no requirement for fuel storage mean no room has to be allotted for tanks of fuels that are dangerous and flammable. As electric lift trucks have less moving parts as opposed to internal combustion models, and they are normally utilized indoors and within cleaner settings, they tend to have a longer lifespan overall.
The electric forklifts biggest downside is the batteries downtime. The large and very heavy, lead acid batteries are somewhat similar to those now found in automobiles. These batteries are very large and very powerful. Typically, batteries provide enough power for one standard 8-hour shift, and this means 5 or 6 hours of nonstop utilization.
Charging a forklift battery will take around 8 hours. An extra 8 hours of cooling time is needed before it can be utilized after the charging process is done. Because of this long method of slow charging speed and additional cooling time, if you require forklifts for 2 or 3 shift operations, you would have to purchase extra batteries so you could always be charging the next battery. These extra batteries will add roughly $1000 to $2000 to purchase.
On the market nowadays, there are several new fast charge electric lift trucks. These fast charge batteries have changed the business of electric forklifts. Their charging could be completed during the course of lunch and coffee breaks, enabling them to return to work a lot sooner.