Electric lift truck models make up nearly 60 percent of the lift truck market. These units derive their power from heavy, big lead-acid batteries which give the machinery it's counterweight in order to avoid it from tipping over.
According to the 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. Even though the first investment when buying an electric forklift is more as opposed to an internal combustion or IC forklift, electric trucks are less costly to operate and run in the long-run. This is because of lesser fuel and maintenance expenses, compared to the internal combustion units.
Within North America, the majority of electric rider forklifts are designed for moving materials indoors. Electric rider forklifts are used most commonly in warehousing applications, and retail spaces. The electric models are the right choice for inside applications as they make less noise and emit zero toxic emissions.
Moreover, electric lift truck could normally run a complete 8 hour shift on one battery charge. Recharging, reloading and removing batteries, that generally weigh around 3000 lbs. could be time consuming and hard. This cumbersome job often requires a dedicated space for battery handling. Nevertheless, new fast charging technologies are being used to update this process and change the procedure to be able to complete it in a a lot faster way.
Fast charging technologies are considered the best charging technologies. It has revolutionized electric model forklifts and the time it takes to charge their batteries. The experts of the material handling industry, state that these new developments in the battery charging systems and battery technology could cut charging time by as much as 50%!
Internal Combustion Counterbalanced Lift Trucks
Internal combustion lift trucks rely on a variety of different kinds of fuels, such as liquid propane gas or LPG, diesel, CNG or compressed natural gas and gasoline. The bigger forklifts are normally used outdoors. Usually, these models are gas or diesel powered and utilizes air-filled or pneumatic tires so as to make them appropriate for steep inclines and rough environment, as opposed to cushion tires. Cushion tires are more suitable for indoor use and smooth services because they are made from solid rubber.
The most popular fuel option for indoor trucks is LPG. There are over 600,000 propane-filled lift trucks nowadays which are operating in DCs and in warehouses. These units provide numerous advantages. Like for example, lift trucks which run on propane fuel maintain 100% constant power during operation. In addition, these units provide faster ground speeds than other power sources.