Normally, electric lift trucks are the best option for indoor use within warehouses and manufacturing operations for 2 main reasons: First off they create zero emissions. This is a really essential factor to consider for indoor work places. Amongst the IC or internal combustion models, only the propane-fueled units can be utilized indoors and these units still need really good ventilation. Diesel and gas powered units could not be utilized inside under any circumstances.
Fuel cost is the other main advantage of electric lift trucks. These units have lower cost per hour as opposed to any of the other IC or internal combustion models. One of the main disadvantages to the electric forklifts is their higher initial cost. New electric lift trucks could vary from 20 percent to 40 percent more than IC units that are similarly rated.
However, electric forklifts offer numerous benefits including quiet operation. This is a huge plus for indoor applications. Additionally, no fuel storage requirements mean no room needs to be allotted for tanks of flammable and dangerous fuels. Because electric lift trucks have less parts that move than IC models, and they are typically utilized in cleaner environments and indoors, they tend to have a longer overall lifespan.
The battery downtime is the biggest disadvantage of an electric lift truck. These models run with heavy, big, lead-acid batteries, like those found in your car. These batteries are very big and very powerful. Typically, batteries provide an adequate amount of power for one standard 8-hour shift, and this means 5 or 6 hours of nonstop use.
Charging a lift truck battery will take approximately 8 hours. An additional 8 hours of cooling time is needed before it can be utilized after the charging process is completed. Due to this long process of slow charging speed and additional cooling time, if you need lift trucks for 2 or 3 shift operations, you should purchase extra batteries so you could always be charging the next battery. These extra batteries would add about $1000 to $2000 to purchase.
There are some new fast charge electric lift trucks available on the market. These specialized batteries have changed the electric forklift industry. Their charging could be done during the course of lunch and coffee breaks, allowing them to get back to work a lot sooner.