Industrial Lift Trucks Go Electric

Thanks to advancements in lithium battery and charging technology, the industry is seeing accelerated movement towards electric. © velikiyzayats – stock.adobe.com

How lithium power is changing the industrial market.

By: Martin Boyd, Contributor

According to the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, the automotive market continues its steady transition to electric vehicles with roughly 9.6 percent of new car sales in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2025 being electric. With parallels to the automotive market, the industrial lift truck market is experiencing a similar trend. The overall industrial lift truck market in North America is ahead of the curve with approximately 70 percent of sales being electric – with one notable exception – sit down counterbalance lift trucks, which continue to favor internal combustion (IC) powertrains over electric.

Now, thanks to advancements in lithium battery and charging technology, the industry is seeing accelerated movement towards electric. The entrance of lithium battery technology in the industrial lift truck market has completely changed the game as the technology continues to advance and clear many of the long-standing hurdles that kept operations from making the switch to electric in the past.

WHY OPERATORS ARE SWITCHING

The recent IC to electric movement, or “electrification,” stems from several converging forces. Even with regulatory pressures being eased by the current administration in Washington, D.C., customers still anticipate future legislation forcing operations to move toward electric. Simultaneously, operations are becoming more educated of the significant cost savings that can be realized by moving IC fleets over to electric lift trucks powered by lithium.

Over the years, operations have become increasingly aware of the pains associated with industrial lead acid batteries. These pains have been directly addressed and fully overcome with lithium battery technology, and today, the companies that have successfully transitioned their IC fleet to electric, have chosen lithium.

With lithium representing the final piece of the puzzle, bridging the long-standing gap between IC and electric, operations can finally experience all the benefits that electric lift trucks bring. Electric lift trucks have fewer moving parts, are easier to diagnose and work on and have significantly less maintenance requirements. Additionally, electric trucks can be more comfortable for operators, particularly today as more manufacturers like Big Joe are integrating lithium batteries directly into the lift truck chassis.

BRIDGING THE PERFORMANCE GAP

For years, the biggest barrier to industrial electrification was the performance gap. In the past, industrial lead-acid batteries lacked the energy density, performance consistency and the fast-charging capability required to keep operations as productive as they were with IC trucks. The combination of lithium batteries and improved charging technologies are now working seamlessly today to completely resolve the performance gap once experienced with lead-acid solutions.

While the performance gap limited customers from making the jump from IC to electric, those that did make the jump were willing to take on additional pains that they did not have with their IC units. For instance, electric fleets running lead acid typically need multiple batteries per lift truck, and those batteries require careful swapping in multi-shift applications. Multiple batteries also take up additional space within a facility and when charging, require ventilation systems and demand special precautions like eye wash stations and PPE equipment when working with them. Lead acid batteries also need time to charge, need to be equalized and watered often and given time to cool after charging.

All these pains experienced with lead-acid battery technology have been solved with the entrance of lithium battery technology.

In high-demand environments such as ports where downtime is costly and infrastructure for opportunity fast-charging may be limited, hybrid solutions are emerging. Some electric trucks are now equipped with onboard hydrogen fuel cells that act as range extenders. Adoption of hydrogen-lithium hybrids has been gradual due to the complexity of handling hydrogen onsite, but the technology evolving points to a future where heavy-duty equipment can operate without fossil fuels, even in the most challenging settings.

PROPER CHARGING IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS

One of the most common questions operators ask about electric lift trucks is whether charging will interrupt productivity. The answer depends on the application and the operation’s willingness to adapt. Before you go down the path of choosing the right lift truck, battery and charger solution, it’s highly recommended to perform a power study to determine if your facility’s electrical grid can handle the load of an all-electric fleet and where chargers should be placed so it becomes convenient for operators to fast-charge them any chance they get throughout their shift.

For simple, one-shift applications or rental, charging can become less of an issue if the operation allows significant time intervals for charging and the lift trucks are equipped with onboard chargers that can be easily plugged into a single phase 120V or 220V wall outlet. Big Joe forklifts feature onboard chargers which are perfect for such applications and have been proven ideal when utilizing the lift truck demo as a power study tool which collects actual data for rightsizing batteries and chargers for a given application.

For heavy usage, such as multi-shift applications, if operators can adopt an opportunity fast-charging discipline – plugging trucks into high-kilowatt fast chargers during breaks and shift changes – they may be able to use smaller batteries and avoid costly downtime. If not, they may need to invest in larger kilowatt-hour capacity batteries that provide long run time without the need to charge. Consideration for battery charger placement is also critical. To optimize the success of an electrification opportunity in multi-shift applications, every effort must be made to locate chargers close to break rooms and other areas where lift trucks are commonly idle.

SAFETY AND COMPLIANCE CONCERNS

As companies consider lithium as the motive power choice for their lift truck fleets, many wonder about battery safety and regulatory compliance. For trucks originally designed for lead-acid batteries, swapping in a lithium battery is considered, under ANSI/ITSDF B56.1 Safety Standard and OSHA 1910.178, a modification that may impact safety or stability that must be approved by the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) by way of an updated capacity nameplate. This has been proven to be quite complex for many end-users as there are well over a dozen 3rd party lithium battery suppliers in the market, with each OEM having their own practices on what suppliers are qualified for use and how their lift trucks must be configured to accept those 3rd party lithium batteries.

For that reason, end-users are increasingly preferring lift trucks like Big Joe, which feature dedicated lithium batteries integrated directly into the chassis, eliminating the confusion and complexity behind trying to properly match up lift trucks to 3rd party lithium batteries. When the battery is part of the lift truck design, there are no questions or concerns about compatibility.

A CLEAR BUSINESS CASE

In the consumer automotive market, environmental concerns often drive electrification. But in the industrial world, the business case stands on its own.

Industrial electrification isn’t just about being clean and green; it makes sense financially. Electric trucks are more productive, cost less to maintain and have been proven to be easier to service. That’s why the industry is seeing such strong momentum, even when being green isn’t on top of the priority list.

PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE

For operations considering the switch, preparation is key. Conducting a thorough site assessment, investing in the right chargers and working with an experienced dealer can be the difference between a smooth transition and costly downtime. Electrification is not one-size-fits-all, but with the right planning, operations can achieve higher uptime, lower costs and set operations up for a more sustainable future.

As lithium technology continues to evolve, the expectation is that purpose-built, integrated lithium lift trucks will be the number one choice for operations that desire to convert their IC fleets to electric. What was once considered niche technology for small pallet trucks is rapidly becoming the standard across the entire industry. WMHS

Martin Boyd is CMO of Big Joe Forklifts. Established in 1951, Big Joe is a customer-centric, North American material handling solutions company, offering a variety of purpose-built integrated lithium-ion forklifts designed to replace internal combustion, innovative material handling equipment for warehouse and distribution centers, and market-leading autonomous solutions. Based in Madison, Wisconsin, Big Joe provides world class market driven solutions with a reputation of exceptional customer service through our nationwide dealership network. Visit: https://bigjoeforklifts.com