When it’s time to replace the forklifts in your business, you’re faced with deciding between a forklift with an internal combustion engine (ICE) and an electric forklift. You can save some money upfront with an ICE forklift, but in the long run, electric forklifts are better. Find out why electric forklifts will save you money.
Reliability
ICE forklifts have hundreds of unique parts that must work together for the machine to function properly. The more moving parts a piece of equipment has, the greater the chances that one of those pieces will break or fail.
Gas-powered forklifts spend a significant amount of time each quarter sidelined for preventative maintenance needs, like oil changes; they also go out of commission more often for mechanical issues. In contrast, electric forklifts have far simpler drivetrains, so they have fewer mechanical issues.
Operational Expenses
The next reason electric forklifts will save you money is their lower operational expenses. A gas forklift can typically operate for about eight hours before needing to be filled up, meaning you will need to store tanks of fuel.
Gas forklift fuel is far more expensive than electricity per hour of operation. And, as anyone who has filled up their car with gas knows, oil prices are highly volatile and trending upward.
Employee Health
Gas forklifts emit toxic fumes while in use, particularly carbon monoxide. Businesses that want to use this equipment inside are required to invest extra capital into purifying exhaust catalysts, and even those don’t eliminate all the harmful emissions. Electric forklifts, on the other hand, don’t emit toxic fumes.
Add to this that ICE forklifts emit a lot of noise as they run, whereas electric forklifts run virtually silently other than the sounds of tires, the lift, and safety indicators. The noises from a gas-powered forklift can damage workers’ hearing over time and create safety distractions. Use an electric forklift to make the workplace better for employees, ultimately giving you a competitive advantage over other worksites.
Green Power Forklift Batteries carries new and used forklift batteries for sale. Choose between lead-acid batteries and lithium-ion batteries to power your electric lift truck. Shop with us today.
