Electric lift truck models make up nearly 60 percent of the lift truck market. These units get their power from heavy, big lead-acid batteries that that prevents the equipment from tipping over because it gives it the counterweight.
The ITA states that electric counterbalanced lift trucks are considered Class 1 lift trucks. The category of Class1 also encompasses stand-up counterbalanced lift trucks along with other electric trucks which are made for general application. Even if the first investment when purchasing an electric lift truck is more as opposed to an IC or internal combustion forklift, electric lift trucks are much less costly to operate and run in the long-run. This is because of lesser maintenance and fuel expenses, in comparison to the IC units.
Within North America, most electric rider lift trucks are made for transporting materials indoors. Electric rider forklifts are utilized most commonly in warehousing applications, and retail spaces. The electric models are the best choice for inside applications due to their ability to make less noise and emit zero toxic emissions.
The battery of an electric lift truck can run 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 often needs a dedicated area for battery handling. However, new fast charging technologies are now used to update this method and change the procedure to be able to complete it in a a lot faster method.
Fast charging technologies are considered the best charging technologies. It has revolutionized electric model lift trucks and the charging time of their batteries. The material handling industry experts, state that these new developments in the battery technology and battery charging systems can lessen charging time by up to 50 percent!
Internal Combustion or IC Counterbalanced Forklifts
IC lift trucks rely on a variety of different kinds of fuels, like LPG or liquid propane gas, diesel, compressed natural gas or CNG and gasoline. The larger forklifts are commonly used outside. Usually, these units operate on gas or diesel and uses 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 better suited for indoor use and smooth services as they are made from solid rubber.
The most popular fuel choice for indoor trucks is LPG. There are over 600,000 propane-filled forklifts these days which are operating within DCs and in warehouses. These units provide various benefits. For instance, propane-fueled lift trucks maintain 100% constant power during operation. Furthermore, these units offer faster ground speeds than other power sources.