When it comes to powering lift trucks, not all batteries are created equal. Today’s warehouse and manufacturing operations demand more uptime, smarter charging, and reliable performance from their motive power solutions. Choosing the right battery chemistry can make or break an operation’s productivity.
Two of the most advanced batteries on the market are HAWKER FLEX® Li3 lithium-ion batteries and HAWKER FLEX® Thin Plate Pure Lead (TPPL) batteries. Each offering high performance, but which one is right for your operation?
Here’s a quick guide to help your team make the right decision.
Both HAWKER FLEX® Li3 and FLEX® TPPL batteries deliver reliable performance and opportunity-based charging. If you're evaluating battery options based on output and uptime, it’s important to understand how the internal chemistry of each battery affects performance.
A lithium-ion (Li) battery is a type of battery using lithium-ions to carry an electrical charge between the positive (cathode) and negative (anode) electrons. Li-ion batteries are prized for their high energy density, light weight construction, fast charging ability, and long service life, making them a popular choice for applications like electric forklifts, AGVs, and warehouse robotics.
Lithium-ion batteries power everything from motive power to grid storage to medical carts. The HAWKER FLEX® Li3 battery is specifically designed for the motive power industry, supporting lift trucks, automated guided vehicles, tugs and many more applications. The HAWKER FLEX® Li3 battery fully charges in as little as 1–2 hours and delivers over 3,000 cycles at 80% depth of discharge. That means less downtime, faster turnarounds, and maximum throughput.
Thin Plate Pure Lead (TPPL) batteries use ultra-thin plates made of 99% pure lead and an absorbent glass mat (AGM) design to achieve rapid recharge and deep-cycle capability, all without maintenance or the need to add water. These batteries charge to 80% in under an hour and are built for opportunity charging, making them perfect for operations that run multiple shifts with limited time for full recharges.
Unlike traditional flooded lead-acid batteries, which require regular watering and equalization, TPPL batteries are sealed and maintenance-free. Yet they offer significantly better performance than older flooded technologies.
Thin Plate Pure Lead batteries are used in light to medium demand industrial applications that require fast charging, long runtimes, and zero maintenance. They’re especially effective in material handling environments like production areas, retail stores, and membership warehouses.
Because TPPL batteries combine the durability of traditional lead-acid with the performance of more modern chemistries, they’re often used as a cost-effective alternative to lithium-ion batteries without the need for extensive infrastructure changes.
Ideal Fit:
Let’s talk numbers. The initial upfront cost of a lithium-ion battery is undeniably higher. But that number doesn’t tell the full story.
How long do lithium batteries last? 3,000–3,500+ cycles
Benefits:
How long do TPPL batteries last? ~1,200–1,500 cycles
Benefits:
Many facilities find that TPPL hits the “sweet spot” between legacy lead-acid and lithium. It offers many of the same benefits—maintenance-free, sealed design, fast charging, and long lifespan—without the need to overhaul your infrastructure.
And when you consider that battery charging schedules can be optimized around shift breaks using opportunity charging, both options can reduce downtime significantly.
Ideal Fit:
HAWKER® batteries don’t just look tough—they’re engineered for safety, sustainability, and smart operations. As more industries face regulatory scrutiny, these factors matter more than ever.
Can lithium batteries be recycled?
Lithium batteries can be recycled, but not easily. The infrastructure is limited, and recycling costs can be high. That’s one of the few downsides of lithium chemistries.
For companies prioritizing environmental impact and operator safety, TPPL provides a lower-friction path forward with fewer compliance headaches.
Ideal Fit:
If you're comparing TPPL battery vs lithium-ion, think of it this way:
Whether you're evaluating replacing your entire battery fleet or simply replacing a few batteries, HAWKER® has the solution.
We manufacture both TPPL and lithium-ion batteries because we believe that one size doesn't fit all. And because we back every product with world-class research and development, dealer support, and safety certifications.
Talk to a certified HAWKER® Representative to assess your motive power operation. Contact us online or call 1-877-7HAWKER to start building a smarter battery strategy today.
