Generally, electric forklifts are the best alternative for indoor use within warehouses and manufacturing operations for 2 main reasons: First off they create zero emissions. This is a very important factor to take into consideration for indoor work places. Among the Internal Combustion or IC models, only the propane-fueled units could be utilized inside and these units still need really good ventilation. Models which run on diesel and gas could not be used indoors under any circumstances.
Fuel cost is the other primary benefit of electric forklifts. These units have less cost per hour as opposed to any of the other internal combustion or IC models. Amongst the main drawbacks to using the electric forklifts is their higher initial expense. New electric lift trucks could range from 20% to 40% more compared to internal combustion units that are similarly rated.
Electric forklifts however, offer numerous advantages like quiet operations, that can be a huge plus for indoor environments. Furthermore, no fuel storage requirements mean no room needs to be allotted for tanks of dangerous and flammable fuels. Since electric forklifts have less parts that move than internal combustion models, and they are usually utilized in cleaner environments and inside, they tend to have a longer overall lifespan.
The electric forklifts biggest disadvantage is the batteries downtime. The big and very heavy, lead acid batteries are quite like those now found in automobiles. These batteries are really powerful and really large. Normally, batteries offer sufficient power for one regular 8-hour shift, and this translates into 5 or 6 hours of continuous use.
Charging a forklift battery will take about 8 hours. An additional 8 hours of cooling time is required 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 must buy additional batteries so you could always be charging the next battery. These extra batteries would add around $1000 to $2000 to buy.
There are some new fast charge electric lift trucks available on the market. These specialized batteries have changed the electric lift truck industry. Their charging can be done during the course of lunch and coffee breaks, enabling them to return to work a lot faster.