The Rise in the Use of Lithium-Ion Batteries in Forklift Trucks

According to Toyota Material Handling UK Limited, 25% of all electric forklift trucks currently sold by them are lithium-ion battery powered. This is mainly due to the advantages and flexibility that lithium-ion powered forklift trucks provide. It is seen as the next evolution in forklift truck technology.

We have briefly covered the use of lithium-ion powered forklift trucks in previous News Articles, namely Lithium-ion Battery Fire Risk for Forklift Trucks and Electric Forklift Trucks – Battery Types.

Lithium-ion batteries are extensively used in computers, mobile phones, electrical vehicles including cars and forklift trucks. Click here to see the animation of how the lithium ion battery works.

The growth in lithium-ion powered forklift truck is driven by the many advantages it provides. These include:

Consistent Power – Lithium-ion batteries provide consistent power and voltage throughout the charging cycle and hence can improve efficiency. Lead-acid battery powered forklift trucks provide declining power rates the longer you use it after charging.
Increased availability – Lithium-ion powered forklift trucks can be fully charged in about one to two hours. This will give 4-5 hours of operating time. This increases the forklift truck’s overall availability compared to other battery types
Opportunity charging – While lead-acid batteries always need a full charge cycle of 8-12 hours, Lithium-Ion batteries can be opportunity charged. They can be plugged in for as little 20 minutes during tea breaks or longer over lunch times or whenever the forklift truck is not in use, thus significantly reducing operational downtime and improving productivity.
Fewer required batteries – Has longer lifespan. Lithium-ion batteries generally last for several times the number of cycles as lead-acid batteries, leading to a longer effective lifespan for lithium-ion batteries. Offering 3-4 times longer lifespan than lead-acid saves on replacement cost-
No battery maintenance – Lithium-ion batteries are sealed units and require no maintenance, unlike lead-acid batteries which require regular topping up with distilled water. Under topping or overtopping is the largest cause of early failure in lead-acid batteries and diminishes their performance.
Flexibility – The flexibility that lithium-ion batteries offers mean you can plan your workload better and may also reduce the number of forklifts you may need for your operation

Disadvantages of Lithium-ion battery powered Forklift trucks include:

High Initial Costs – The initial cost of lithium-ion battery is high, but it is generally cheaper over its lifetime
Do not drain it completely – If you run a lithium-ion battery completely flat, it is likely that it is unrecoverable, unlike lead-acid batteries
Environmental Issues – 90% of lithium is currently mined in Australia, Chile and China. There are other vast deposits around the world, especially USA and Bolivia. It is often found in arid regions in the southern hemisphere and requires vast amount of water in its mining process, at the detriment of the needs of local population

The numerous benefits of lithium-ion battery powered forklift trucks will ensure its continued rise in usage as older ones are replaced and its market share will increase. If you are in the market to purchase a forklift truck, talk to the suppliers such as Toyota Material Handling as they may help you in your decision-making process as to which one is ideally suited to your operation.

Wallace School of Transport including Forklift Training in London is a fully accredited RTITB company with over 60 years’ experience. You can be trained either at your own work site or at Wallace Centre in Park Royal. If you have any questions, call Wallace Forklift Training on 020 8453 3440, choose option 3 or click here to email us.