There’s often controversy surrounding whether you should adopt Internal Combustion (IC) or electric forklifts for your operations. Of course, with any debate, there are pros and cons to every side. However, in today’s culture, more emphasis has been placed on operating green, or mitigating the environmental repercussions modern manufacturing creates.
As with any financial decision, it pays to do your research. Below we’ve outlined the major advantages of choosing electric forklifts for your operations -- and some disadvantages you may experience along the way.
IC trucks emit hazardous fumes during operation. Electric forklifts generate zero emissions, reducing your environmental impact and eliminating an employee’s exposure to contaminated air. Using electric forklifts, eliminates your need for ventilation.
Because electric forklifts have fewer parts to maintain, they typically break down less and require fewer costly repairs. AC motor technology eliminates brushes, leading to better speed control and no spark hazards. Additionally, cost per hour of operation is significantly less than IC trucks.
Additionally, electric forklifts only require a battery charge before returning to work, so fuel costs are lower!
Here are few of the many benefits to electric forklifts.
● Cheaper to operate - Electric forklifts require no fuel and very little maintenance. The batteries are rechargeable and replaceable.
● Longer lifespan - Electric forklifts typically last longer before major components start to fail. In some cases, the lifespan of an electric forklift is nearly double.
● Eco-friendly - Electric forklifts do not produce harmful emissions.
Of course, there are (minor) disadvantages to electric forklifts. These include:
● Greater initial upfront cost. Electric forklifts do cost more upfront, but they have lower lifetime fuel costs.
● May not be as good for outdoor use. Electric forklifts have advanced significantly over the years, but in some extreme conditions, IC may be better suited.
● Opportunity for downtime. Although this can be mitigated through opportunity charging, downtime can occur if batteries aren’t charged or equalized properly.
Although there are risks for electric forklifts, we’d argue the benefits outweigh the disadvantages when considering the total cost over the lifetime of the product.
Curious if electric forklifts are the right fit for you? We offer an IC vs Electric Cost Calculator on our website so you can crunch the numbers yourself. After you input your data in the required fields, our Cost Comparison Over Time graph shows you the savings you can expect over time.
Our calculator also shows you a carbon footprint comparison of fossil fuel versus electric per year -- for those who are looking to reduce their environmental impact.
We’re proud to provide the motive power industry with cutting-edge battery and charger application solutions for their operations. If you still have questions about making the switch to electric for your forklift, we encourage you to give us a call at 1-877-7HAWKER or by clicking here!
We can’t wait to show you the power of electric motive power for your bottom line.
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