About 60 percent of the lift truck market is made up by electric forklift units. These units are powered by big, heavy lead-acid batteries that which prevents the machine from tipping over since it gives it the counterweight.
The ITA states that electric counterbalanced forklifts are considered Class 1 lift trucks. The category of Class1 also includes stand-up counterbalanced lift trucks as well as other electric trucks that are designed for general use. Even if the initial investment when you purchase an electric lift truck is more than an IC or internal combustion lift truck, electric forklifts are much less costly to operate and run in the long-run. This is because of lower maintenance and fuel expenses, in comparison to the IC models.
In North America, the majority of electric rider lift trucks are designed for transporting materials indoors. Electric rider trucks are used most commonly in retail spaces, and warehousing applications. The electric models are the best option for inside applications due to their ability to emit zero toxic emissions and make less noise.
The battery of an electric forklift can operate on average for 8 hours or for a single shift. The recharging, reloading and removing batteries which weigh upwards of 3000 pounds could be hard and time consuming. This cumbersome task usually needs a dedicated space for handling the battery. Then again, new fast charging technologies are now used to update this method and change the procedure to be able to accomplish it in a much quicker way.
Fast charging technologies are considered the best charging technologies. It has changed electric unit forklifts and the charging time of their batteries. The material handling business experts, state that these new developments in the battery technology and battery charging systems could reduce charging time by up to 50 percent!
Internal Combustion or IC Counterbalanced Lift Trucks
IC forklifts depend on a range of different types of fuels, including LPG or liquid propane gas, diesel, CNG or compressed natural gas and gasoline. The bigger forklifts are commonly utilized outdoors. Normally, these units are gas or diesel powered and uses air-filled or pneumatic tires so as to make them suitable for steep slopes and rough environment, compared to cushion tires. Cushion tires are more suitable for smooth services and indoor applications because they are made from solid rubber.
The LPG unit is the most popular fuel choice for indoor trucks. These days, there are more than 600,000 propane-filled forklifts operating all around the world. These units provide numerous advantages. For instance, propane-fueled forklifts maintain 100% constant power during operation. Furthermore, these units provide faster ground speeds compared to other power sources.