Electric forklift units make up almost 60 percent of the forklift market. These models are powered by heavy, huge lead-acid batteries which that prevents the machinery from tipping over because it acts as the counterweight.
According to the ITA, electric counterbalanced forklifts are considered Class 1 forklifts. Class 1 is the category which covers all stand-up counterbalanced trucks and other electric forklifts. Though the first investment when buying an electric forklift is more than an IC or internal combustion truck, electric lift trucks are less expensive to operate and run in the long-run. This is because of lower fuel and maintenance costs, than the IC models.
Within North America, most electric rider forklifts are made for transporting materials indoors. Electric rider forklifts are used most frequently in retail spaces, and warehousing applications. The electric units are the right alternative for inside applications since they emit zero toxic emissions and make less noise.
The battery of an electric lift truck can operate on average for 8 hours or for one shift. The reloading, recharging and removing batteries which weigh upwards of 3000 pounds can be difficult and time consuming. This burdensome task usually requires a dedicated area for battery handling. Nonetheless, new fast charging technologies are now utilized 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 revolutionized electric model forklifts and the charging time of their batteries. The material handling industry experts, state that these new changes within the battery charging systems and battery technology could reduce charging time by up to 50%!
Internal Combustion Counterbalanced Forklifts
The IC powered lift truck will depend on types of fuels, like LPG or liquid propane gas, diesel, CNG or compressed natural gas and gasoline. The bigger forklifts are commonly used outside. Generally, these models operate on diesel or gas and uses air-filled or pneumatic tires in order to make them appropriate for steep inclines and rough environment, as opposed to cushion tires. Cushion tires are more suitable for smooth services and indoor applications because they are made from solid rubber.
The LPG unit is the most popular fuel choice for indoor trucks. These days, there are more than 600,000 propane-filled lift trucks working around the globe. These models provide a wide variety of benefits. For instance, forklifts which run on propane fuel maintain 100 percent constant power during operation. What's more, these models provide faster ground speeds as opposed to other power sources.