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 that give the equipment it's counterweight so as 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 covers all stand-up counterbalanced trucks and other electric lift trucks. Though the first investment when you buy an electric lift truck is more than an internal combustion or IC lift truck, electric lift trucks are a lot less costly to run and operate in the long-run. This is due to lower fuel and maintenance costs, compared to the internal combustion or IC units.
Most of the electric rider forklift trucks shipped in North America is made for transporting material indoors. They are commonly utilized in retail spaces, and warehousing applications. The electric units are the right alternative for inside use 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 a single shift. The recharging, reloading and removing batteries that weigh upwards of 3000 pounds could be difficult and time consuming. This cumbersome job usually requires a dedicated space for battery handling. Nonetheless, new fast charging technologies are now utilized to change the procedure and update this method to be able to complete it in a much 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 material handling industry experts, state that these new developments in the battery charging systems and battery technology can lessen charging time by as much as 50%!
Internal Combustion Counterbalanced Lift Trucks
IC forklifts depend on a range of different kinds of fuels, including LPG or liquid propane gas, diesel, compressed natural gas or CNG and gasoline. The bigger forklifts are commonly used outside. Normally, these models are gas or diesel powered and utilizes air-filled or pneumatic tires in order to make them suitable for steep inclines and rough terrain, as opposed to cushion tires. Cushion tires are more suitable for smooth services and indoor use because they are made from solid rubber.
The most popular fuel choice for indoor trucks is LPG. There are more than 600,000 propane-filled forklifts these days which are operating within DCs and within warehouses. These units offer various advantages. For instance, forklifts which run on propane fuel maintain 100% constant power during operation. Additionally, these models offer faster ground speeds than other power sources.