What are the advantages of using lithium batteries in forklifts, as told by forklift battery manufacturers?
As we all know, there are two types of forklifts: fuel powered forklifts and electric forklifts. Electric forklifts use batteries as their power source. Currently, the batteries used in electric forklifts are mainly lithium batteries and lead-acid batteries. Lithium batteries have emerged as a new form of power for forklifts. Compared to fuel powered forklifts and lead-acid batteries, what are the advantages of using lithium batteries in forklifts? Let's take a look with BATTSYS Battery!
What are the advantages of using lithium batteries in electric forklift
Extended runtime
One of the major advantages of using
lithium batteries in forklifts is that they can extend cycle life and operating time. Compared to using traditional lead-acid batteries, the lifespan of lithium batteries can be extended by four times. There is no voltage drop throughout the entire lithium discharge cycle, so the truck runs and lifts at the same speed at the end of the shift as it did at the beginning. Lead acid batteries experience a voltage drop and typically lose 20% of their battery capacity during the conversion process.
The extended lifespan of lithium batteries can help warehouses maintain seamless operation and improve overall productivity. Enable your team to complete more work without stopping due to charging or replacing batteries.
Charging capacity
Another advantage of lithium batteries is that they also allow for fast and easy charging compared to their lead-acid alternatives. Lithium batteries can be charged from zero to full in less than 2 hours. There is no "memory effect", it is recommended that you charge the lithium forklift battery at any time when it is not in use. This means that a dead battery will not slow down. Lithium batteries are also more efficient than lead-acid batteries. If lead-acid batteries are charged too frequently, they may seriously deteriorate. However, lithium batteries will remain in good condition regardless of charging frequency or discharge depth.
No maintenance required
A major drawback of lead-acid batteries is that they require a lot of maintenance. Watering is necessary every day, and acid may overflow. Lead acid batteries typically increase labor costs as they require time and effort to maintain and replace during each shift change. On the other hand, lithium batteries require zero maintenance. Therefore, using lithium batteries can reduce costs and save warehouse time. It can also reduce labor demand, allowing your employees to focus on more important tasks in your business.
High usage security
Although there are many safety hazards in the warehouse environment, forklifts are one of the major threats. This is especially true for trucks using lead-acid batteries. Removing a heavy battery from the truck and replacing it with a newly charged one during each shift change increases the risk of injury and equipment damage. The overflow of acid from lead-acid batteries may pose a hazard to your workplace and always have the potential to cause harm to employees. Fortunately, lithium batteries are safer for your employees and come with automatic protection devices that can provide additional protection. Using lithium batteries does not require battery replacement on forklifts, and there is no risk of acid spillage. Due to the absence of gas during the charging process, these batteries will not emit hazardous hydrogen/sulfuric acid gases into your working environment.
No battery room required
Another advantage of using lithium batteries is that you will no longer need a dedicated battery room in the warehouse. Lead acid batteries require a battery compartment to be installed for storage and charging when not in use. When charging, these batteries release dangerous hydrogen/sulfuric acid gases (gases), so the room needs to be well ventilated and kept cool, which greatly increases operating costs. On the other hand, when using lithium batteries, each truck only needs one battery. Due to the absence of inflation issues and the fact that charging can be done almost anywhere, there is no need for expensive ventilated air conditioning battery rooms. You no longer need to worry about storing backup batteries or charging them in one room. In fact, with lithium batteries, you can find suitable places to place chargers throughout the entire facility to encourage drivers to charge elevators when not in use.
Better environment
If you want to make your warehouse more environmentally friendly, using lithium batteries in forklifts is a good choice. One reason is that lithium batteries are 30% more energy-efficient than lead-acid batteries. By using lithium batteries, you can reduce energy consumption in the workplace. This helps to protect the environment and will also reduce costs and carbon footprint. If your company has an internal directive to reduce carbon footprint, switching to lithium batteries is a great way to help achieve this goal. When dealing with lead-acid batteries, acid overflow can also cause environmental hazards. Lead acid batteries also emit hydrogen/sulfuric acid into the air during charging. On the other hand,
lithium batteries do not contain toxic substances or emit harmful gases. This means they are safer for the environment and employees.
Cost savings
Replacing lead-acid batteries with forklift new energy batteries can also help businesses save money. Although their upfront costs may be higher, their advantage is value for money and over time, it will save your business money. Once you do the calculations, you will find that the total cost of ownership is much lower than lead-acid batteries (usually around 20% -40%). When using lithium batteries, energy consumption will be lower. As we mentioned earlier, lithium batteries do not have daily maintenance. This means that your labor costs will also be greatly reduced. In addition to replacing lead-acid batteries every shift, watering, cleaning batteries, and elevator compartments every day require time and manpower. Whether you are performing these tasks internally or outsourcing them to a third-party company, these tasks are required for every elevator and shift on a daily basis. By switching to lithium batteries, employees will be able to focus on more important tasks and their daily work efficiency will greatly improve.
The above is an introduction to the advantages of using lithium batteries in electric forklifts. Through the above introduction, I believe everyone has a certain understanding of the advantages of using lithium batteries in forklifts.
