Guide to Selecting Forklift Power Types
The selection of forklift power types directly determines operating costs, work efficiency, and environmental adaptability. It is essential to make a comprehensive judgment based on operating scenarios, operation intensity, cost structure, and compliance requirements. Currently, mainstream power types are divided into electric forklifts (lead-acid/lithium-ion) and internal combustion forklifts (diesel/LPG - liquefied petroleum gas). The two have significant differences in characteristics and need to be accurately matched according to specific needs.
I. Comparison of Core Power Type Characteristics
(I) Electric Forklifts
Core Advantages: Zero exhaust emissions and low operating noise (similar to that of electric bicycles), suitable for scenarios sensitive to environmental quality. Extremely low energy costs - taking a 3-ton lithium-ion forklift as an example, the daily electricity cost for 8 hours of operation is only 12.48 yuan, and the annual energy consumption cost is less than 5,000 yuan, which is about 1/13 of that of internal combustion forklifts. Simple maintenance processes: no need to replace engine oil, filters, or other components,
only requiring attention to hydraulic system and battery maintenance, resulting in significantly lower long-term maintenance costs than internal combustion models. Compact body, precise control, and stronger maneuverability, suitable for operation in narrow aisles.
Core Limitations: High initial investment. The total cost including batteries and charging facilities is usually higher than that of internal combustion forklifts. Although the price gap of lithium-ion models is gradually narrowing, it still exists. Battery-limited endurance: traditional lead-acid batteries take 5-8 hours to charge and need to cool down for another 8 hours after charging before use, which can meet the needs of single-shift operation (≤8 hours per day). For multi-shift continuous operation, battery replacement or fast charging processes need to be planned. Weak outdoor adaptability: electrical components are vulnerable to rain, snow, and mud; only models with sealed components can be used lightly outdoors, and their climbing capacity is limited (usually 10%-15%). Narrow load range: most models are ≤5 tons, making it difficult to meet heavy-duty operation needs.
(II) Internal Combustion Forklifts
1. Diesel Forklifts: Core Advantages Strong power and high torque, with a climbing capacity of 20%-30% and a load range of 1.5 tons to 48 tons, capable of handling heavy-duty scenarios such as containers and steel coils. Excellent weather resistance, able to operate in extreme temperatures of -20℃ to 50℃ and unpaved roads such as muddy and gravel roads, without relying on charging facilities, suitable for remote areas. Efficient refueling: refueling takes only 3-5 minutes, supporting 24-hour continuous operation without range anxiety. Low initial purchase cost, reducing short-term investment pressure.
Core Limitations High operating costs: the daily diesel cost for 8 hours of operation is about 168 yuan, and the annual energy consumption + basic maintenance cost exceeds 60,000 yuan. With the increase of service life, the maintenance frequency and cost will rise significantly. High exhaust emissions and noise, strong vibration, requiring good ventilation conditions, not suitable for indoor enclosed scenarios, and long-term use may affect the health of operators. Tedious maintenance: regular maintenance of the engine and gearbox is required, as well as cleaning of soot in the exhaust gas treatment device, which is prone to on-site oil pollution problems.
2. LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) Forklifts: Core Advantages Strong versatility, suitable for both indoor and outdoor operations, with lower emissions and noise than diesel forklifts, adapting to semi-enclosed environments. Convenient refueling: gas cylinders can be quickly replaced, suitable for multi-scenario switching operations. More economical fuel cost than diesel and gasoline, saving part of energy expenses in long-term use. Some models support dual fuel (diesel + LPG), which can reduce energy dependence risks.
Core Limitations Still have exhaust emissions (including carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides), requiring forced ventilation when used indoors. Special space and safety protection measures are needed for gas cylinder storage, resulting in higher management costs. Fuel consumption cost is higher than that of electric forklifts, and maintenance requirements are still higher than those of electric models.
II. Scenario-Based Selection Decision Framework
(I) Classification by Operating Environment
1. Pure Indoor Scenarios: Such as food/pharmaceutical/electronic factories, retail e-commerce warehouses, and cold storage warehouses. Electric forklifts are preferred. Their zero-emission and low-noise characteristics can meet environmental protection and cleanliness requirements, avoiding contaminating materials or affecting the operating environment. Lead-acid or lithium-ion models are suitable for single-shift operations, and fast-charging lithium-ion models are recommended for multi-shift operations.
2. Mixed Indoor-Outdoor Scenarios: Such as manufacturing warehouses and logistics distribution centers. If indoor operations are the main focus with light outdoor transportation, LPG forklifts or electric forklifts with sealed components can be selected; if outdoor operations involve ramps or unpaved roads, LPG forklifts are preferred to balance adaptability and cost.
3. Pure Outdoor Scenarios: Such as ports, building materials markets, construction sites, and mines. Diesel forklifts are selected for heavy-duty operations; LPG forklifts are optional for light to medium-load scenarios that require environmental friendliness.
(II) Classification by Operation Intensity
1. Single-Shift Operation (≤8 hours per day): Electric forklifts are the optimal solution. Their advantages in energy and maintenance costs can be fully exerted without additional refueling/charging planning, showing significant long-term economic benefits.
2. Multi-Shift Operation (16-24 hours of continuous operation): Traditional lead-acid electric forklifts require multiple sets of spare batteries and battery replacement facilities, resulting in cumbersome operations; fast-charging lithium-ion forklifts can be recharged during breaks, becoming the mainstream preferred choice. If there are no charging conditions in the operating environment or the heavy-load demand is extremely high, diesel forklifts are still reliable options, but the long-term operating costs need to be weighed.
(III) Classification by Cost Perspective
1. Short-Term Investment Orientation (1-2-year service cycle): If the budget is limited and there are no strict environmental requirements, diesel or LPG forklifts can be selected, featuring low initial purchase cost and quick put-into-use.
2. Long-Term Benefit Orientation (3-year+ service cycle): Electric forklifts are preferred. Their total cost of ownership (TCO) advantage will appear within 2-3 years, and the cost gap in energy consumption and maintenance will continue to expand with the increase of service time. Calculated over a 5-year cycle, the total cost of electric forklifts is usually lower than that of internal combustion forklifts, especially in scenarios with long daily use hours, where the advantage is more obvious.
III. Typical Scenario Selection Examples
1. Port Container Loading/Unloading and Heavy Material Handling in Steel Mills: Diesel forklifts, adapting to outdoor heavy-load and continuous operation needs, with irreplaceable advantages in power and environmental adaptability.
2. Two-Shift Indoor Warehouses in Manufacturing Industry (14-16 hours per day, medium load): Fast-charging lithium-ion forklifts, which can meet operation needs by recharging during meal breaks, significantly reducing energy and maintenance costs.
3. Food Cold Storage Warehouses (single-shift, high cleanliness requirements): Electric forklifts, whose zero-emission and low-noise characteristics are consistent with cold storage environments, avoiding exhaust gas contaminating food and indoor air.
4. Construction Material Transportation on Construction Sites (outdoor unpaved roads, intermittent operation): Diesel forklifts, whose weather resistance and power can cope with complex road conditions, with convenient refueling without relying on electricity.
5. Small and Medium-Sized Supermarket Warehouses (narrow aisles, light load): Small electric forklifts, featuring compact body, flexible operation, and low noise that does not affect the surrounding environment.
IV. Practical Steps for Selection Implementation
1. Data-Driven Current Situation Assessment: Record 1-2 weeks of operation data, including daily average operation hours, load weight, operation routes (indoor/outdoor/ramp), existing energy and maintenance costs, and site space dimensions, to establish an objective operation baseline.
2. Build Total Cost Model: Calculate the total costs of electric and internal combustion solutions for the next 3-5 years respectively, covering purchase depreciation, energy consumption, maintenance costs, battery replacement costs (for electric forklifts), equipment residual value, etc., to quantitatively compare differences.
3. Pilot Performance Verification: Test the endurance, power, and control adaptability of target models in actual operating scenarios through short-term leasing or trial use to avoid blind purchases.
4. Supporting Facility Planning: If electric forklifts are selected, plan the layout of charging areas, power capacity upgrades, charging management processes, and safety specifications in advance to ensure that infrastructure and equipment are in place simultaneously; if internal combustion forklifts are selected, plan fuel storage areas and refueling channels, and implement environmental protection measures.
V. Core Principles of Selection
The essence of selection is to balance short-term investment and long-term benefits, performance needs and environmental compliance. There is no need to blindly pursue the electrification trend, nor should environmental policies and operating cost pressures be ignored. The core judgment criterion is: within the expected service cycle of the equipment, which power type can reliably support the core operation process with the optimal comprehensive cost. Avoid making decisions based solely on purchase price; focus on the balance between efficiency and cost throughout the life cycle, and reserve room for business expansion to adapt to changes in future operation intensity and environmental requirements.
Is the size of the forklift body suitable for the working space?
Analysis of Compatibility Between Forklift Body Dimensions and Working Space
As a core handling equipment in warehousing, logistics, workshop and other scenarios, the compatibility between forklift body dimensions and working space directly affects operational efficiency, safety and space utilization, which is a key consideration in equipment selection and operation planning. Improper dimension matching may lead to operational obstacles, collision damage, traffic congestion and other issues, so it is necessary to accurately evaluate the compatibility relationship from multiple dimensions.
I. Core Forklift Dimension Parameters Affecting Compatibility
There are many dimension parameters of forklifts, among which the core parameters directly determining the working space requirements include the following categories, which need to be focused on:
1. Basic Vehicle Dimensions
Including total length, total width and total height, they are the basis for judging whether a forklift can enter the working area, pass through narrow passages and adapt to space height restrictions. The total length usually refers to the overall length of the forklift with forks in the minimum retracted state, which directly affects the turning radius and parking space requirements; the total width needs to be combined with the width of the working passage, especially in two-way traffic scenarios, sufficient avoidance space must be reserved; the total height needs to be adapted to the height of the bottom layer of warehouse shelves, the height of workshop doorways and the ceiling height to avoid collision or inability to enter specific areas.
2. Turning Radius Parameters
Divided into minimum turning radius (outer side) and minimum turning aisle width, they are the key to adapting to turning operations in narrow spaces. The smaller the minimum turning radius, the stronger the maneuverability of the forklift in limited spaces, which is suitable for working scenarios with narrow passages and many corners (such as small warehouses and workshop roadways); if the working space is open, the requirement for turning radius can be appropriately relaxed, but it is necessary to ensure that no collision with surrounding equipment, goods or walls occurs during turning.
3. Fork and Mast Dimensions
The length and width of the forks need to match the dimensions of the goods to be handled. At the same time, the lifting height, forward/backward tilting angle of the mast also indirectly affect the working space requirements. The maximum lifting height of the mast must be lower than the height limit of the working area, and sufficient longitudinal space must be reserved when the mast tilts forward/backward to avoid interference with front goods and rear walls.
II. Key Evaluation Dimensions of Working Space
The judgment of compatibility needs to be combined with the actual conditions of the working space, focusing on evaluating the following dimensions:
1. Aisle Width
Divided into one-way aisle and two-way aisle, safety clearance needs to be reserved according to the total width of the forklift, turning radius and operating habits. The width of the one-way aisle is usually greater than the total width of the forklift + 0.5-1 meter (reserving space for goods swing and operation error); the width of the two-way aisle is greater than the minimum turning aisle width of the forklift + 0.8-1.2 meters to ensure that two vehicles do not affect each other when meeting. For aisle-type warehouses, the aisle width needs to be further optimized in combination with the shelf spacing.
2. Space Height Restriction
It is necessary to comprehensively consider the total height of the forklift, the maximum lifting height of the mast and the stacking height of goods. The net height of the working area must be greater than the total height of the forklift + 0.3-0.5 meters (reserving space for ventilation, maintenance and operational safety). If shelf operation is involved, the height of the bottom layer of the shelf must be higher than the minimum height of the mast after lifting to avoid collision between the mast and the shelf.
3. Corner and Obstacle Distribution
Obstacles such as corner angles, wall thickness and column positions in the working space will affect the turning maneuverability of the forklift. For right-angle corners, it is necessary to ensure that the space at the corner is sufficient for the forklift to complete the turning action, so as to avoid the forklift being stuck due to too narrow corners; fixed obstacles such as columns and equipment bases need to be marked to evaluate whether the avoidance space is sufficient when the forklift passes and operates.
4. Parking and Operation Reserved Space
Special space needs to be reserved for forklifts to load/unload goods and park for standby. The length of the parking area must be greater than the total length of the forklift + 0.3-0.6 meters, and the width must be greater than the total width of the forklift + 0.2-0.4 meters to ensure that the operator can get on and off the vehicle and load/unload goods without obstruction.
III. Compatibility Judgment Methods and Optimization Suggestions
1. Accurate Measurement and Comparison
First, measure the key data of the working space (aisle width, net height, corner dimensions, obstacle positions, etc.), then compare them one by one with the official dimension parameters of the forklift (total length, total width, turning radius, mast height, etc.) to ensure that the forklift has no space interference during static parking and dynamic operation. If the space is limited, give priority to compact forklifts (such as narrow-aisle forklifts and electric stackers), which have narrow bodies and small turning radii, suitable for operation in narrow spaces.
2. Dynamic Simulation Verification
For complex working spaces (such as scenarios with multiple corners and obstacles), the compatibility of dimensions can be verified by on-site simulation or 3D modeling to simulate the movement, turning, loading and unloading of forklifts. Focus on simulating extreme scenarios, such as turning of forklifts under full load and space margin when the mast is lifted to the maximum, to avoid compatibility problems caused by ignoring extreme conditions.
3. Two-way Optimization of Space and Equipment
If there is a slight mismatch between the forklift dimensions and the existing working space, it can be adjusted by optimizing the space layout (such as widening narrow aisles, adjusting shelf spacing, removing unnecessary obstacles); if the space cannot be adjusted, it is necessary to replace the forklift with suitable dimensions or customize the modification of the forklift (such as shortening the fork length and lowering the mast height, which must comply with safety standards).
4. Reserve Safety Margin
A certain safety margin must be reserved when judging compatibility to avoid collision risks caused by goods dimension errors, operation deviations or equipment wear. Usually, the space dimension needs to be 10%-20% larger than the corresponding dimension of the forklift, and the specific ratio can be adjusted according to the accuracy requirements of the working scenario (such as a larger margin is required for precision workshops).
IV. Reminders of Common Compatibility Misunderstandings
1. Only focusing on the total width of the vehicle and ignoring the turning radius: In some scenarios, the forklift width is compatible with the aisle, but due to the excessive turning radius, collision with the wall still occurs during turning, so both width and turning parameters must be considered.
2. Ignoring the impact of goods dimensions on space: When the forklift is compatible with the space, it is necessary to combine the length, width and stacking height of the goods to avoid the forklift itself being compatible with the space but exceeding the space limit after carrying forks and goods.
3. Not considering the mast movement space: The mast will occupy additional space when tilting forward, backward or lifting. If only the static total height and length of the forklift are used for evaluation, interference may occur during dynamic operation.
In summary, the compatibility between forklift body dimensions and working space needs to be comprehensively evaluated in combination with equipment parameters and space conditions. Through accurate measurement, dynamic verification, two-way optimization and reservation of safety margin, the maximum operational efficiency and safety can be achieved. In the selection stage, the forklift dimension type must be determined based on the working space to avoid affecting production and operation due to compatibility problems in the later stage.
ELECTRIC FORKLIFT
DIESEL FORKLIFT
FORKLIFT
English
only requiring attention to hydraulic system and battery maintenance, resulting in significantly lower long-term maintenance costs than internal combustion models. Compact body, precise control, and stronger maneuverability, suitable for operation in narrow aisles. 
