Approximately 60 percent of the forklift market is made up by electric forklift models. These units are powered by heavy, huge lead-acid batteries which give the machinery it's counterweight in order to prevent it from tipping over.
The ITA states that electric counterbalanced lift trucks are considered Class 1 lift trucks. The category of Class1 also includes stand-up counterbalanced forklifts as well as other electric trucks which are designed for general use. Even if the first investment when you purchase an electric lift truck is more as opposed to an internal combustion or IC truck, electric lift trucks are much less expensive to operate and run in the long-run. This is due to lower fuel and maintenance expenses, in comparison to the IC or internal combustion units.
In North America, most electric rider forklifts are designed for moving materials indoors. Electric rider trucks are utilized most commonly in warehousing applications, and retail spaces. The electric units are the best option for inside use since they emit zero toxic emissions and make less noise.
The battery of an electric forklift can operate on average for 8 hours or for one shift. The reloading, recharging and removing batteries that weigh upwards of 3000 pounds could be hard and time consuming. This cumbersome job normally requires a dedicated area for battery handling. Then again, new fast charging technologies are being utilized to update this method and change the procedure to be able to complete it in a a lot faster method.
This fast charging technology is considered to be better charging technology. It has revolutionized electric model lift trucks and the charging time of their batteries. The material handling industry experts, state that these new developments within the battery charging systems and battery technology could cut charging time by as much as 50 percent!
IC Counterbalanced Forklifts
IC lift trucks depend on a variety of different types of fuels, such as LPG or liquid propane gas, diesel, compressed natural gas or CNG and gasoline. The larger forklifts are normally used outside. Generally, these models are gas or diesel powered and uses air-filled or pneumatic tires in order to make them suitable for rough environment and steep slopes, compared to cushion tires. Cushion tires are more suitable for indoor use and smooth services since they are made from solid rubber.
The LPG model is the most popular fuel option for indoor trucks. Nowadays, there are over 600,000 propane-filled forklifts working all over the world. These units provide numerous advantages. Like for instance, propane-fueled lift trucks maintain 100% constant power during operation. As well, these models offer faster ground speeds as opposed to other power sources.