Roughly 60 percent of the lift truck market is made up by electric lift truck units. These units get their power from huge, heavy lead-acid batteries which give the machinery it's counterweight so as to prevent it from tipping over.
The ITA states that electric counterbalanced lift trucks are considered Class 1 lift trucks. The category of Class1 also encompasses stand-up counterbalanced trucks in addition to other electric trucks which are made for general application. Though the initial investment when purchasing an electric lift truck is more compared to an internal combustion or IC forklift, electric forklifts are a lot less expensive to run and operate in the long-run. This is due to lower fuel and maintenance costs, than the internal combustion models.
Within North America, the majority of electric rider lift trucks are made for transporting materials indoors. Electric rider lift trucks are utilized most frequently in warehousing applications, and retail spaces. The electric models are the best alternative for inside use as they emit zero toxic emissions and make less noise.
Moreover, electric forklift can normally run a complete 8 hour shift on a single battery charge. Reloading, recharging and removing batteries, which generally weigh about 3000 lbs. can be time consuming and hard. This cumbersome job often needs a dedicated area for battery handling. However, new fast charging technologies are being used to update this method and change the procedure to be able to accomplish it in a much quicker way.
This fast charging technology is considered to be enhanced charging technology. It has revolutionized electric model lift trucks and the time it takes to charge their batteries. The professionals of the material handling industry, state that these new developments in the battery technology and battery charging systems can cut charging time by up to 50%!
IC or Internal Combustion Counterbalanced Forklifts
The IC 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 normally utilized outdoors. Normally, these models are diesel or gas powered and utilizes pneumatic or air-filled tires in order to make them appropriate for steep inclines and rough terrain, as opposed to cushion tires. Cushion tires are better suited for smooth services and indoor applications because they are made from solid rubber.
The LPG unit is the most common fuel option for indoor trucks. Today, there are more than 600,000 propane-filled forklifts working all over the world. These units provide a huge range of advantages. For example, lift trucks that run on propane fuel maintain 100% consistent power during operation. Furthermore, these units provide faster ground speeds than other power sources.