Generally, electric forklifts are the most ideal option for indoor use in manufacturing and warehousing applications for 2 major reasons: First off they create zero emissions. This is a very vital factor to take into consideration for indoor work places. Out of the Internal Combustion or IC units, just the propane-fueled models could be used indoors and these models still require really good ventilation. Units that work on diesel and gas can not be used indoors under any circumstances.
The main advantage of electric forklifts is fuel expenses. Compared to IC or internal combustion models, these have lower costs per hour. One of the main disadvantages to the electric forklifts is their higher initial expense. Brand new electric lift trucks could range from 20% to 40 percent more compared to IC models which are similarly rated.
However, electric forklifts provide numerous advantages like quiet operation. This is a huge plus for indoor applications. Moreover, no requirement for fuel storage mean no room needs to be allotted for tanks of fuels that are flammable and dangerous. As electric lift trucks have less moving parts than internal combustion units, and they are normally used in cleaner environments and inside, they tend to have a longer overall lifespan.
The electric forklifts biggest downside is the batteries downtime. The large and very heavy, lead acid batteries are quite like those now found in automobiles. These batteries are really large and very strong. Typically, batteries provide sufficient power for one regular 8-hour shift, and this translates into 5 or 6 hours of continuous use.
Initially, charging a forklift battery takes roughly 8 hours. After the charging process is done, an additional 8 hours of cooling time is needed before it can be used. Due to this long process of slow charging speed and additional cooling time, if you require forklifts for 2 or 3 shift operations, you should buy extra batteries so you could be charging the nest battery always. These extra batteries will add roughly $1000 to $2000 to buy.
On the market nowadays, there are a few new fast charge electric forklifts. These fast charge batteries have revolutionized the business of electric forklifts. Their charging can be completed in the course of coffee and lunch breaks, enabling them to return to work a lot faster.