Roughly 60 percent of the lift truck market is made up by electric lift truck models. These units are powered by heavy, huge lead-acid batteries which give the machinery it's counterweight so as to prevent it from tipping over.
The ITA states that electric counterbalanced lift trucks are considered Class 1 forklifts. The category of Class1 also includes stand-up counterbalanced lift trucks along with other electric trucks that are designed for general application. Though the initial investment when purchasing an electric lift truck is more as opposed to an internal combustion or IC truck, electric lift trucks are less costly to run and operate in the long-run. This is because of lower fuel and maintenance expenses, compared to the IC units.
Most of the electric rider forklift trucks shipped in North America is made for transporting material inside. They are commonly utilized in retail spaces, and warehousing applications. The electric units are the right alternative for inside applications as they make less noise and emit zero toxic emissions.
The battery of an electric lift truck could operate on average for 8 hours or for one shift. The reloading, recharging and removing batteries that weigh upwards of 3000 pounds can be hard and time consuming. This cumbersome task usually requires a dedicated space for handling the battery. Nonetheless, 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 quicker way.
Fast charging technologies are considered the best charging technologies. It has changed electric unit lift trucks and the time it takes to charge their batteries. The experts of the material handling industry, state that these new changes within the battery technology and battery charging systems can reduce charging time by up to 50%!
Internal Combustion or IC Counterbalanced Forklifts
The internal combustion powered forklifts will rely on types of fuels, such as LPG or liquid propane gas, diesel, compressed natural gas or CNG and gasoline. The bigger forklifts are commonly utilized outdoors. Generally, these units are gas or diesel powered and uses air-filled or pneumatic tires so as to make them appropriate for steep inclines and rough terrain, compared to cushion tires. Cushion tires are more suitable for indoor applications and smooth services as they are made from solid rubber.
The LPG unit is the most common fuel option for indoor trucks. Nowadays, there are more than 600,000 propane-filled forklifts operating around the globe. These models offer various advantages. For example, propane-fueled forklifts maintain 100 percent consistent power during operation. Moreover, these units offer faster ground speeds compared to other power sources.