Three Reasons to Electrify Your Forklift Fleet for 2025

Lithium-ion batteries are a game changer

By: Martin Boyd, Contributor

Making the switch to electric forklifts – like the Big Joe LXE Spark lithium forklift truck – can save companies up to 50 percent on maintenance and up to 80 percent on fuel. Image courtesy of Big Joe.

The days of only having propane and diesel forklifts to power your operation are all but over as advanced electric forklifts have proliferated throughout the industrial market. As electric cars and trucks become the norm in today’s society, electric forklifts with lithium-ion batteries are experiencing the same momentum in the material handling industry.

While electric sit-down counterbalance forklifts have been around for decades, significant shortcomings in productivity and high maintenance costs associated with outdated lead acid battery technology undermined any real momentum towards electrification. The fast-charging capabilities and low maintenance aspects of lithium-ion batteries have been a game-changer, empowering customers to alleviate the aches and pains associated with lead acid powered equipment.

Here are three reasons you should consider electrifying your forklift fleet for 2025:

LOWER OPERATIONAL COSTS

Electric forklifts will keep more money in your wallet. With legislation and sustainability concerns encouraging many to make the switch, one of the most compelling and often overlooked arguments in favor of electric forklifts is their ability to significantly reduce operational costs. While the sticker shock of some electric forklifts can initially deter some from making the switch, the cost to operate and maintain an internal combustion forklift fleet is much higher than their electric counterparts, and those who make the switch can see savings of up to 50 percent on maintenance and up to 80 percent on fuel.

• Maintenance: Electric forklifts have considerably fewer moving parts than their internal combustion rivals. Less parts equals less maintenance and downtime, and since the preventative maintenance intervals of electric forklifts are often twice as long as internal combustion powered forklifts, many operations can expect to see a reduction of maintenance costs by up to 50 percent.
• Fuel: Electric forklifts are proven to be more energy efficient than internal combustion (IC) forklifts. The volatility of oil prices and regional differences in fuel costs make it challenging to define a specific fuel savings, but it’s not uncommon to experience up to an 80 percent reduction in fuel costs after making the switch to electric.
• Life Expectancy: Extending the usable life of a forklift is an excellent way to reduce cost. Lithium-ion forklifts are proven to have a longer usable life than their IC counterparts and have a significant long-term impact on improving fleet efficiency and reducing overall costs.

GREEN THINKING

Regardless of industry, many companies around the world feel a growing responsibility to safeguard the environment by incorporating sustainability goals into their corporate initiatives. Transitioning your fleet of IC forklifts to electrics powered by Lithium-Ion batteries is one of many ways corporations can progress towards reaching their sustainability goals. Electrifying your forklift fleet will not only create a significant dent in your carbon footprint but will also directly benefit those working on and around your forklifts.

SAFER WORK ENVIRONMENT

Lithium-ion batteries provide several advantages that alleviate the risks of maintaining and handling lead acid batteries, creating a safe and more efficient work environment.

• Performance: While lead acid solutions become sluggish as battery depletes, Lithium-ion batteries maintain their high levels of performance for the entire battery cycle.
• Risk-Free Maintenance: Lithium-ion batteries are a solid-state technology that does not use electrolytes, therefore eliminating the risks associated with washing, servicing, and maintaining lead acid batteries.
• Fume-Free: Lithium-ion batteries do not fume during charging, therefore eliminating the need for costly and space consuming ventilation systems.
• Easy Charging: Lithium-ion batteries are designed to use a single battery per truck. That means no more battery swapping or complex and costly battery change-out systems.
• Save Space: Advancing to a lithium-ion forklift fleet empowers operations to avoid losing valuable real estate on lead acid battery storage, maintenance, and management.

WHY INTEGRATED ELECTRIC?

Unlike a traditional electric forklift that was designed to house a very large and boxy lead acid battery, an integrated lithium electric forklift is purpose-built around a proven industrial grade lithium-ion battery. Integrating the lithium battery directly into the forklift eliminates the need to choose an approved lithium battery from a wide array of suppliers, each with their own chemistry, performance, pricing, warranty and support. By integrating battery and truck together, a forklift is no longer constrained by designing the truck around a “box,” giving engineers freedom to make significant improvements in ergonomics and overall operator comfort.  An integrated solution also allows the engineers to optimize truck counterweight distribution, which can result in significant improvements in efficiency, maneuverability, and load handling capability.

WHY MAKE THE SWITCH TO ELECTRIC NOW?

With lithium-ion, it simply makes sense to switch. There is no doubt that past barriers to electrification revolved around technology, more specially the lead acid battery. Designed to overcome the downfalls associated with lead acid, the recent introduction of Lithium-ion batteries into the electric forklift market has shattered the outdated conclusion that electric forklifts cannot replace their IC counterparts and represents a momentous step towards electrification, allowing more operations to experience the many benefits of going electric. wmhs

Martin Boyd is CMO is of Big Joe, whose electric forklifts have been the standard of quality for over 70 years in factories, warehouses, DCs and storerooms across the USA and around the world. Big Joe walkie stackers, pallet trucks, and access vehicles are well known for their rugged, easy to use designs that provide a low-cost alternative to traditional sit-down forklifts. Learn more at https://bigjoeforklifts.com/