Generally, electric lift trucks are the best option for indoor use in manufacturing and warehousing operations for 2 main reasons: First off they create zero emissions. This is a very essential factor to take into consideration for indoor work places. Among the IC or internal combustion models, just the propane-fueled units can be utilized inside and these units still need really good ventilation. Units that run on gas and diesel are not able to be utilized inside under any circumstances.
Fuel cost is the other primary advantage of electric forklifts. These units have less cost per hour as opposed to any of the other IC or internal combustion models. Among the main drawbacks to utilizing the electric forklifts is their higher initial expense. Brand new electric forklifts could range from 20 percent to 40% more than internal combustion units that are rated the same.
On the other hand, electric forklifts provide numerous benefits including quiet operation. This is a big plus for indoor applications. In addition, 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 as opposed to IC models, and they are normally used in cleaner environments and inside, they tend to have a longer lifespan overall.
The electric lift trucks biggest downside is the batteries downtime. The big and very heavy, lead acid batteries are quite like the ones now found in automobiles. These batteries are really powerful and extremely big. Normally, batteries provide a sufficient amount of power for one standard 8-hour shift, and this translates into 5 or 6 hours of nonstop utilization.
Initially, charging a lift truck battery takes around 8 hours. After the charging process is done, an additional 8 hours of cooling time is required before it could be utilized. Due to this long process of slow charging speed and extra cooling time, if you need forklifts for 2 or 3 shift operations, you should buy additional batteries so you could be charging the nest battery always. These extra batteries will add approximately $1000 to $2000 to purchase.
On the market these days, there are some new fast charge electric lift trucks. These fast charge batteries have revolutionized the business of electric forklifts. Their charging can be completed in the course of coffee and lunch breaks, allowing them to get back to work much sooner.