Electric lift truck models make up almost 60 percent of the lift truck market. These units are powered by heavy, big lead-acid batteries which which prevents the equipment from tipping over because it gives it the counterweight.
Based on ITA, electric counterbalanced lift trucks are considered Class 1 lift trucks. Class 1 is the category which covers all stand-up counterbalanced trucks and other electric lift trucks. Although the first investment when you purchase an electric lift truck is more than an IC or internal combustion truck, electric lift trucks are a lot less expensive to operate and run in the long-run. This is because of lesser maintenance and fuel costs, than the IC or internal combustion models.
In North America, the majority of electric rider lift trucks are made for moving materials indoors. Electric rider trucks are used most commonly in warehousing applications, and retail spaces. The electric units are the right choice for inside use due to their ability to make less noise and emit zero toxic emissions.
In addition, electric lift truck can normally run a complete 8 hour shift on one battery charge. Reloading, recharging and removing batteries, that generally weigh approximately 3000 pounds can be time consuming and hard. This burdensome job usually needs a dedicated area for handling the battery. However, new fast charging technologies are being utilized to update this process and change the procedure to be able to accomplish it in a much faster method.
This fast charging technology is considered to be better charging technology. It has revolutionized electric model forklifts and the time it takes to charge their batteries. The material handling industry professionals, state that these new developments in the battery charging systems and battery technology can cut charging time by as much as 50%!
Internal Combustion or IC Counterbalanced Forklifts
Internal combustion forklifts depend on a variety of different types of fuels, such as LPG or liquid propane gas, diesel, compressed natural gas or CNG and gasoline. The larger lift trucks are usually used outdoors. Usually, these models operate on gas or diesel and utilizes air-filled or pneumatic tires in order to make them suitable for steep slopes and rough terrain, compared to cushion tires. Cushion tires are better suited for indoor use and smooth services as they are made from solid rubber.
The most common fuel choice for indoor trucks is LPG. There are more than 600,000 propane-filled forklifts these days which are operating within DCs and in warehouses. These models provide various advantages. For instance, propane-fueled forklifts maintain 100 percent constant power during operation. Furthermore, these models offer faster ground speeds compared to other power sources.