Pros and Cons of Electric Forklifts

An electric forklift is really a manufacturer's or warehouse company's best option of all the forklift trucks that are now available. In fact these forklifts are ideal for working indoor in any type of business and there are two main reasons for this.

Firstly they do not produce any emissions so they are good to the environment. Plus if a company needs to use a forklift truck inside the other models which have internal combustion engines need ventilation including those that are fueled by propane. Plus both diesel and gas powered models should not be used inside at all.

The other reason why electric forklifts are ideal is the cost of them to run. These forklifts cost less to run than any other types of forklift trucks that are available. But although they cost more to purchase initially the actual cost of investing in one will soon offset this cost.

As well as the two reasons provided above another advantage to having an electric forklift in your manufacturing or warehouse business is that it is quieter than other models. Plus you do not need to worry about storing fuel for the truck so that frees up more space within your business. The final reason as to why it is an advantage to have a forklift like this in your business is that it has fewer moving parts then many other types of forklift trucks and they tend to live a little longer as well.

However there are disadvantages to be had from using such a vehicle in your business and these are as follows:

1. As they are powered by huge heavy lead acid batteries they only last for around about 5 to 6 hours if constantly used. Although they are supposed to provide the truck with enough power to last for an 8 hour shift. The problems start to arise when these need charging.
2. It takes 8 hours to charge each battery and then a further 8 hours when it needs to be allowed to cool down before it can be used. Unfortunately if you need to be using your electric forklift truck for 2 or 3 shifts at a time then you will need to buy additional batteries so that you will always have a set charging whilst the other ones are being used. So you will need to factor in an additional cost of between $1,000 and $2,000 for each additional battery on top of the cost of the truck itself.
3. As well as the time it takes for the batteries to charge you will also need to set up a battery charging station within your business. This station will need to be set up in a dry, well ventilated but temperature controlled area. Within this you will also need to set up a special crane which can then help you to change the batteries in the truck when required.
4. The final disadvantage to having an electric forklift truck is that they are not suitable for outdoor use. Certainly you should avoid at all costs using your truck outside especially when it is raining, instead check out Rough Terrain Forklift