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Follow on Google News | The MHEDA Journal Breaks Down Forklift Power OptionsWhat are the pros and cons of using batteries and IC engines to power forklifts?
By: Steve Guglielmo According to the Industrial Truck Association (ITA), electric trucks made up about 63 percent of total new truck sales in 2010, while Internal Combustion trucks accounted for the other 37 percent. The traditional lead-acid battery is still the number one non-IC power source. Within the IC market, about 600,000 forklifts in the United States operate on Liquid Propane fuel. Roughly 90 percent of all IC trucks are powered by propane. That means that the two dominant power sources in North America are lead-acid batteries and LP fuel. Most industry insiders expect the proportion of electric trucks to rise higher in coming years as electric trucks continue to improve their productivity in more applications, and customers remain conscious of using a product with no hazardous emissions. “Electric truck performance is right in line with an IC truck now,” says Mark Milovich, president of Lift Atlanta in Decatur, GA. “Plus, with the increase in fuel prices, it’s now more economical for many customers to recharge a battery than to fill up a fuel tank.” While many believe that electrics will continue to dominate the market, no one interviewed for the story expects the market to ever go completely electric. “Electric market share will never get to 100 percent,” says Jeff Long, VP of sales & service at EnerSys. “I don’t think you’ll ever see big electric trucks that can handle applications like IC pneumatic trucks at shipyards or lumberyards.” To learn more about forklift power sources and see a chart of advantages and disadvantages of each, read the entire article on The MHEDA Journal Online. http://www.themhedajournal.org/ About MHEDA Founded in 1954, the Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association (MHEDA) is the premier source for manufacturing knowledge, education and networking. Through its member journals (www.TheMhedaJournal.org) End
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