Roughly 60 percent of the lift truck market is made up by electric forklift units. These models derive their power from heavy, huge lead-acid batteries that give the machine it's counterweight so as to prevent it from tipping over.
Based on 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 forklifts. Though the initial investment when buying an electric forklift is more than an IC or internal combustion lift truck, electric trucks are less costly to run and operate in the long-run. This is due to lower fuel and maintenance costs, than the internal combustion units.
The majority of the electric rider lift trucks shipped in North America is designed for transporting material inside. They are commonly used in retail spaces, and warehousing applications. The electric units are the right option for inside applications due to their ability to emit zero toxic emissions and make less noise.
Also, electric lift truck can generally work a complete 8 hour shift on a single battery charge. Recharging, reloading and removing batteries, which generally weigh approximately 3000 lbs. can be time consuming and difficult. This burdensome task normally requires a dedicated space for battery handling. Nevertheless, new fast charging technologies are now used to change the procedure and update this method to be able to accomplish it in a much quicker way.
This fast charging technology is considered to be better charging technology. It has changed electric model forklifts and the charging time of their batteries. The experts of the material handling industry, state that these new changes within the battery technology and battery charging systems could lessen charging time by up to 50 percent!
IC Counterbalanced Lift Trucks
The IC powered lift truck would depend on types of fuels, such as LPG or liquid propane gas, diesel, compressed natural gas or CNG and gasoline. The larger forklifts are normally utilized outdoors. Normally, these units are gas or diesel powered and uses pneumatic or air-filled tires so as to make them suitable for steep slopes and rough terrain, as opposed to cushion tires. Cushion tires are better suited 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. Nowadays, there are over 600,000 propane-filled lift trucks operating around the world. These models provide various benefits. For example, propane-fueled forklifts maintain 100% consistent power during operation. Moreover, these models offer faster ground speeds than other power sources.