Electric lift truck units make up nearly 60% of the entire material handling market. Powering these units are extremely heavy lead-acid batteries. Because of their massive weight, these batteries naturally offer a lot of the counterweight.
Counterbalanced trucks are classified by the ITA as Class 1 forklifts. Class 1 also includes other electric trucks made for general use and stand-up counterbalanced trucks. Even though the initial expense of an electric forklift is more than internal combustion lift trucks, electric models are cheaper to operate in the long run. This is due to their lower fuel and maintenance costs.
The majority of the electric rider trucks manufactured and designed within North America are made for moving material within 4 walls. Electric forklifts have traditionally been limited to indoor applications with surfaces that are clean and smooth. With the launch of some new Class 1 items, it is becoming increasingly possible to use electric rider units in some outdoor applications.
Because of the fact that electric forklift units provide no harmful emissions, they are typically chosen for indoor operations when compared to IC lift trucks. Electric models could complete a full 8 hour shift on one battery charge and are really quiet when in use. Electric model batteries weigh roughly 3,000 pounds. The job of reloading, recharging and removing the batteries could be cumbersome and time consuming. This situation usually occurs at a battery charging post or an area that is specially used for handling batteries. There are evolving fast charging technologies becoming available on the market and these new systems are changing the battery charging process.
The Right Fit
A main factor connected with any type of lift truck is utilizing the correct size of unit to complete the specific operation. The application itself should always dictate what product is selected.
Customers are striving to find lessen operating expenses and more effective ways to lessen operating costs, all the while increasing their overall productivity, especially as the economy becomes more complex and competitive. Using the wrong size of forklift can greatly slow things down and have a huge effect on the bottom line and profitability of a company, while negatively affecting the production on the jobsite.
If you are uncertain about what particular kind of lift truck you require, a reliable dealer will be able to ask you the right questions which will allow you to make a correct selection. Numerous dealerships offer rentals of their machinery too and this is a great way to try before you commit to such a large purchase. It is also a nice way to try various units out to see which ones you and your operators are the most comfortable with and which ones bring you the best production.