Generally, electric forklifts are the most ideal option for indoor use within manufacturing and warehousing applications for 2 main reasons: First off they create zero emissions. This is an extremely essential factor to consider for indoor work places. Out of the Internal Combustion or IC units, just the propane-fueled models could be utilized indoors and these models still need extremely good ventilation. Diesel and gas powered units could not be used indoors under any circumstances.
Fuel cost is the other primary benefit of electric forklifts. These models have less cost per hour compared to any of the other internal combustion or IC units. One of the main disadvantages to the electric forklifts is their higher initial cost. New electric lift trucks can vary from 20 percent to 40% more compared to IC models that are rated the same.
However, electric lift trucks offer numerous advantages including quiet operation. This is a big plus for indoor operations. In addition, no need for fuel storage mean no room has to be allotted for tanks of flammable and dangerous fuels. Because electric lift trucks have less moving parts than IC units, and they are normally used in cleaner environments and inside, they tend to have a longer lifespan overall.
The electric lift trucks biggest disadvantage is the batteries downtime. The big and really heavy, lead acid batteries are quite similar to those now found inside cars. These batteries are really big and very powerful. Typically, batteries provide enough power for one regular 8-hour shift, and this translates into 5 or 6 hours of nonstop utilization.
Charging a forklift battery will take about 8 hours. An additional 8 hours of cooling time is required before it could be utilized after the charging process is completed. Because of this long process of slow charging speed and additional cooling time, if you require lift trucks for 2 or 3 shift operations, you should purchase extra batteries so you can always be charging the next battery. These additional batteries would add roughly $1000 to $2000 to the purchase price.
On the market today, there are some new fast charge electric lift trucks. These fast charge batteries have changed the industry of electric lift trucks. Their charging could be done in the course of lunch and coffee breaks, allowing them to get back to work a lot faster.