Electric forklift units make up almost 60 percent of the forklift market. These units are powered by heavy, huge lead-acid batteries that give the machinery it's counterweight in order to prevent it from tipping over.
Based on ITA, electric counterbalanced forklifts are considered Class 1 lift trucks. Class 1 is the category that covers all stand-up counterbalanced trucks and other electric lift trucks. Though the first investment when buying an electric forklift is more as opposed to an IC or internal combustion truck, electric trucks are less expensive to operate and run in the long-run. This is because of lesser maintenance and fuel expenses, in comparison to the internal combustion units.
The majority of the electric rider forklift trucks shipped in North America is designed for moving material indoors. They are normally utilized in warehousing applications, and retail spaces. The electric units are the best option for inside use since they make less noise and emit zero toxic emissions.
Furthermore, electric forklift could usually operate a complete 8 hour shift on one battery charge. Reloading, recharging and removing batteries, which generally weigh approximately 3000 pounds could be time consuming and hard. This cumbersome task usually requires a dedicated space for handling the battery. Nevertheless, new fast charging technologies are now utilized to update this process and change the procedure to be able to complete it in a much faster method.
Fast charging technologies are considered the best charging technologies. It has changed electric model lift trucks and the charging time of their batteries. The professionals of the material handling business, state that these new changes within the battery charging systems and battery technology can cut charging time by up to 50%!
Internal Combustion or IC Counterbalanced Lift Trucks
The IC powered forklifts would depend on kinds of fuels, such as LPG or liquid propane gas, diesel, compressed natural gas or CNG and gasoline. The bigger lift trucks are commonly utilized outdoors. Normally, these units operate on gas or diesel and utilizes air-filled or pneumatic tires in order to make them suitable for rough environment and steep slopes, compared to cushion tires. Cushion tires are more suitable for indoor applications and smooth services 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 these days which are operating within DCs and in warehouses. These units offer numerous advantages. Like for instance, lift trucks that run on propane fuel maintain 100 percent consistent power during operation. What's more, these units offer faster ground speeds as opposed to other power sources.