“The lead acid out right now is very good technology, but there’s a time and a place for it. “It didn’t make sense for them to spend $20K for a big battery for some of their stand-up units,” said Tod Kilgore, Flux Power’s Director of Sales. After testing LiBs on the fleet, Flux recommended they stay with lead acid. The company conducted a survey with a small Costco distribution center that had eight units and was operating at about a shift and a half. Each battery manufacturer is different in how it determines whether LiB is a good fit for a specific customer.įlux Power installs its own telematics on the forklifts, the batteries, and the chargers to help. While LiB technology offers unique benefits, experts admit they don’t always make sense for every customer. Does Lithium-Ion Technology Make Sense For Every Customer? Lithium-ion battery (LiB) technology represents the next generation of forklift efficiency, and experts say that LiB market share in electric forklifts will grow significantly over the next five years. It is estimated that lead acid batteries power 90 percent of electric forklifts in operation.īut a new player has emerged on the scene in recent years and is revolutionizing the way some companies do business. Lead acid batteries have been a capable solution for years, and they continue to dominate the market today. As environmental concerns and fluctuating oil prices continue to push consumers toward alternatives to traditional internal combustion (IC) engines, forklift operations have increasingly looked toward electric vehicle solutions over the last decade.

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