Normally, electric forklifts are the best choice for indoor use within manufacturing and warehousing applications for 2 main reasons: First off they create zero emissions. This is an extremely vital factor to consider for indoor work places. Out of the Internal Combustion or IC models, just the propane-fueled units are able to be utilized indoors and these models still need extremely good ventilation. Gas and diesel powered units are not able to be used inside under any circumstances.
Fuel cost is the other primary benefit of electric forklifts. These models have lower cost per hour as opposed to any of the other internal combustion or IC models. One of the main disadvantages to using the electric forklifts is their higher initial expense. Brand new electric forklifts can vary from 20% to 40% more than internal combustion units that are similarly rated.
Electric forklifts on the other hand, offer numerous benefits such as quiet operations, which could be a huge plus for indoor environments. In addition, no fuel storage requirements mean no room has to be allotted for tanks of dangerous and flammable fuels. Since electric forklifts have less moving components than internal combustion units, and they are usually used inside and in cleaner settings, they tend to have a longer overall lifespan.
The electric lift trucks biggest disadvantage is the batteries downtime. The big and very heavy, lead acid batteries are somewhat like the ones now found inside automobiles. These batteries are really strong and extremely large. Usually, batteries provide enough power for one standard 8-hour shift, and this means 5 or 6 hours of nonstop utilization.
Charging a lift truck battery will take roughly 8 hours. An extra 8 hours of cooling time is needed before it can be used after the charging process is completed. Because of this long method of additional cooling time and slow charging speed, if you require lift trucks for 2 or 3 shift operations, you must buy additional batteries so you could always be charging the next battery. These extra batteries would add approximately $1000 to $2000 to buy.
On the market today, there are some new fast charge electric forklifts. These fast charge batteries have revolutionized the industry of electric forklifts. Their charging could be completed during the course of lunch and coffee breaks, allowing them to return to work much sooner.