Electric forklift units make up nearly 60 percent of the lift truck market. These units are powered by huge, heavy lead-acid batteries that give the machine it's counterweight in order to prevent it from tipping over.
According to the ITA, electric counterbalanced lift trucks are considered Class 1 lift trucks. Class 1 is the category which includes all stand-up counterbalanced trucks and other electric lift trucks. Even if the initial investment when buying an electric lift truck is more than an internal combustion or IC lift truck, electric lift trucks are less expensive to run and operate in the long-run. This is because of lesser maintenance and fuel expenses, than the IC units.
Within North America, the majority of electric rider forklifts are made for transporting materials indoors. Electric rider lift trucks are used most frequently in retail spaces, and warehousing applications. The electric units are the right choice for inside applications because they make less noise and emit zero toxic emissions.
The battery of an electric lift truck can operate on average for 8 hours or for one shift. The reloading, recharging and removing batteries that weigh upwards of 3000 pounds can be difficult and time consuming. This cumbersome task normally requires a dedicated space for battery handling. Then again, new fast charging technologies are now used to change the procedure and update this process to be able to complete it in a a lot faster way.
Fast charging technologies are considered the best charging technologies. It has changed electric model lift trucks and the charging time of their batteries. The material handling industry professionals, state that these new changes in the battery charging systems and battery technology could cut charging time by up to 50 percent!
IC or Internal Combustion Counterbalanced Forklifts
The internal combustion powered forklifts will rely on kinds of fuels, like LPG or liquid propane gas, diesel, compressed natural gas or CNG and gasoline. The larger lift trucks are usually used outside. Normally, these models operate on diesel or gas and uses air-filled or pneumatic tires in order to make them appropriate for rough environment and steep slopes, as opposed to cushion tires. Cushion tires are better suited for smooth services and indoor applications because they are made from solid rubber.
The most common fuel choice for indoor trucks is LPG. There are over 600,000 propane-filled lift trucks today which are operating in DCs and in warehouses. These models offer a huge variety of advantages. Like for example, propane-fueled forklifts maintain 100 percent consistent power during operation. Furthermore, these units offer faster ground speeds than other power sources.