Douglas Battery™, manufacturer of batteries and chargers for material handling applications, offers fleet managers an easy way to calculate projected savings when converting from internal combustion (IC) forklifts to electric forklifts with its online IC-to-electric (IC2E) calculator.
The IC2E calculator evaluates numerous factors, including fleet size, truck capacity, number of shifts per day, cost of fuel, purchase/lease terms and maintenance costs, to provide managers with a projected return on investment and overall cost savings over five years.
Electric lift trucks can offer the following cost savings compared to IC lift trucks:
- Lower fuel costs, especially with supplier incentives, such as the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Electric Forklift Program
- Higher productivity through the use of rapid and opportunity charge options
- Lower maintenance costs due to fewer moving parts
“Electric lift trucks not only save money but can also perform as well as IC units in acceleration, run speed, lifting capacity and incline speed,” said Brian Faust, general manager, Douglas Battery.
Many forklift operators report that they are also easier to maneuver than IC counter-balanced lift trucks in tight spaces, such as half-filled trailers.
Environmental benefits are another reason why today’s fleet managers are converting from IC to electric forklifts. According to the Electric Power Research Institute, for every 10,000 hours of use, IC forklifts emit 120,000 more pounds of carbon emissions than electric forklifts.
In addition, electric forklifts may be used safely indoors as they require no ventilation.
For companies interested in converting from IC to electric, Douglas Battery will develop innovative battery and charger solutions to maximize the fleet’s power and performance.
