Electric forklift units make up almost 60 percent of the forklift market. These units are powered by heavy, large lead-acid batteries which give the equipment it's counterweight in order to avoid it from tipping over.
According to the ITA, electric counterbalanced lift trucks are considered Class 1 forklifts. Class 1 is the category which includes all stand-up counterbalanced trucks and other electric forklifts. Even if the initial investment when you purchase an electric forklift is more compared to an internal combustion or IC forklift, electric trucks are less expensive to operate and run in the long-run. This is because of lesser fuel and maintenance expenses, in comparison to the internal combustion models.
Most of the electric rider lift trucks shipped within North America is made for moving material indoors. They are commonly utilized in retail spaces, and warehousing applications. The electric models are the right option for inside applications because they emit zero toxic emissions and make less noise.
Also, electric forklift can generally work a complete 8 hour shift on a single battery charge. Recharging, reloading and removing batteries, which generally weigh around 3000 lbs. could be time consuming and difficult. This burdensome task usually needs a dedicated area for battery handling. Nonetheless, new fast charging technologies are being used to change the procedure and update this method to be able to complete it in a much faster way.
Fast charging technologies are considered the best charging technologies. It has changed electric model lift trucks and the time it takes to charge 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 as much as 50%!
Internal Combustion or IC Counterbalanced Forklifts
The internal combustion powered forklifts would depend on kinds of fuels, like LPG or liquid propane gas, diesel, compressed natural gas or CNG and gasoline. The bigger lift trucks are commonly used outside. Usually, these units operate on gas or diesel and utilizes 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 more suitable for indoor use and smooth services as they are made from solid rubber.
The most common fuel option for indoor trucks is LPG. There are more than 600,000 propane-filled forklifts today that are operating in DCs and in warehouses. These models provide numerous advantages. For example, propane-fueled forklifts maintain 100% constant power during operation. What's more, these units offer faster ground speeds than other power sources.