Electric lift truck units make up nearly 60 percent of the forklift market. These units derive their power from heavy, huge lead-acid batteries that that prevents the equipment from tipping over because it gives it the counterweight.
Based on ITA, electric counterbalanced lift trucks are considered Class 1 forklifts. Class 1 is the category which includes all stand-up counterbalanced trucks and other electric forklifts. Though the initial investment when buying an electric forklift is more as opposed to an internal combustion or IC forklift, electric trucks are much less costly 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, most electric rider forklifts are made for transporting materials indoors. Electric rider lift trucks are used most frequently in warehousing applications, and retail spaces. The electric units are the right alternative for inside applications because of their ability to make less noise and emit zero toxic emissions.
The battery of an electric lift truck could operate on average for 8 hours or for a single shift. The reloading, recharging and removing batteries that weigh upwards of 3000 pounds could be hard and time consuming. This cumbersome task normally requires a dedicated space for battery handling. Nevertheless, new fast charging technologies are being used to update this process and change the procedure to be able to accomplish it in a much quicker method.
Fast charging technologies are considered the best charging technologies. It has changed electric unit forklifts and the time it takes to charge their batteries. The material handling industry professionals, state that these new changes in the battery charging systems and battery technology could reduce charging time by up to 50 percent!
IC Counterbalanced Forklifts
IC forklifts depend on a range of different kinds of fuels, including LPG or liquid propane gas, diesel, CNG or compressed natural gas and gasoline. The bigger lift trucks are usually used outside. Usually, these models are gas or diesel powered and utilizes air-filled or pneumatic tires in order to make them appropriate for rough terrain and steep slopes, compared to cushion tires. Cushion tires are better suited for smooth services and indoor applications as they are made from solid rubber.
The LPG unit is the most common fuel option for indoor trucks. These days, there are over 600,000 propane-filled lift trucks operating around the globe. These units provide a huge variety of advantages. For instance, forklifts which operate on propane fuel maintain 100 percent constant power during operation. In addition, these units offer faster ground speeds than other power sources.