Roughly 60 percent of the lift truck market is made up by electric forklift units. These models derive their power from huge, heavy lead-acid batteries that that prevents the machine from tipping over because it acts as the counterweight.
Based on ITA, electric counterbalanced lift trucks are considered Class 1 lift trucks. Class 1 is the category that covers all stand-up counterbalanced trucks and other electric lift trucks. Although the initial investment when you purchase an electric lift truck is more compared to an IC or internal combustion forklift, electric forklifts are much less expensive to run and operate in the long-run. This is due to lower fuel and maintenance costs, than the internal combustion units.
Most of the electric rider forklift trucks shipped within North America is designed for moving material indoors. They are commonly used in retail spaces, and warehousing applications. The electric units are the best alternative for inside use because they emit zero toxic emissions and make less noise.
Furthermore, electric lift truck can generally run a complete 8 hour shift on a single battery charge. Recharging, reloading and removing batteries, which roughly weigh approximately 3000 pounds can be time consuming and difficult. This cumbersome task often requires a dedicated area for handling the battery. Nevertheless, new fast charging technologies are now utilized to update this method and change the procedure to be able to accomplish it in a a lot faster method.
This fast charging technology is considered to be enhanced charging technology. It has changed electric model forklifts and the time it takes to charge their batteries. The material handling business experts, state that these new changes within the battery technology and battery charging systems could reduce charging time by up to 50 percent!
IC Counterbalanced Forklifts
IC forklifts rely on a range of different kinds of fuels, such as LPG or liquid propane gas, diesel, compressed natural gas or CNG and gasoline. The larger forklifts are usually used outdoors. Usually, these models are diesel or gas powered and uses air-filled or pneumatic tires in order to make them appropriate for rough environment and steep slopes, compared to cushion tires. Cushion tires are more suitable for smooth services and indoor use since they are made from solid rubber.
The LPG unit is the most common fuel choice for indoor trucks. Today, there are over 600,000 propane-filled lift trucks working around the world. These models offer numerous advantages. For example, lift trucks which operate on propane fuel maintain 100 percent consistent power during operation. What's more, these units offer faster ground speeds than other power sources.