Electric lift truck units make up almost 60 percent of the forklift market. These units derive their power from huge, heavy lead-acid batteries which which prevents the equipment from tipping over because it acts as the counterweight.
The ITA states that electric counterbalanced trucks are considered Class 1 lift trucks. The category of Class1 also encompasses stand-up counterbalanced forklifts along with other electric trucks which are made for general application. Although the first investment when purchasing an electric lift truck is more compared to an internal combustion or IC forklift, electric trucks are a lot less expensive to run and operate in the long-run. This is due to lesser fuel and maintenance costs, than the internal combustion or IC units.
Most of the electric rider lift trucks shipped in North America is made for transporting material indoors. They are usually used in retail spaces, and warehousing applications. The electric units are the right choice for inside use because of 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 one shift. The recharging, reloading and removing batteries that weigh upwards of 3000 pounds could be difficult and time consuming. This cumbersome job often needs a dedicated space for battery handling. Nevertheless, new fast charging technologies are now used to change the procedure and update this process to be able to complete it in a much faster way.
Fast charging technologies are considered the best charging technologies. It has revolutionized electric model forklifts and the charging time of their batteries. The material handling industry experts, state that these new changes in the battery technology and battery charging systems could lessen charging time by up to 50 percent!
IC or Internal Combustion Counterbalanced Lift Trucks
IC lift trucks depend on a range of different types of fuels, including liquid propane gas or LPG, diesel, CNG or compressed natural gas and gasoline. The larger forklifts are commonly utilized outdoors. Usually, these units operate on gas or diesel and uses pneumatic or air-filled tires in order to make them suitable for rough environment and steep inclines, as opposed to cushion tires. Cushion tires are better suited for smooth services and indoor use since they are made from solid rubber.
The LPG model is the most common fuel choice for indoor trucks. Nowadays, there are more than 600,000 propane-filled forklifts operating around the globe. These models offer a wide variety of advantages. For instance, propane-fueled lift trucks maintain 100 percent consistent power during operation. Furthermore, these units provide faster ground speeds compared to other power sources.