Lithium Forklift Batteries: The Complete Guide [Pros, Cons, ...
Lithium Forklift Batteries: The Complete Guide [Pros, Cons, ...]
Curious about lithium forklift batteries?
If you want to learn more, please visit our website lithium ion forklift.
Then you’re in the right place.
Because in this post, we’re going to cover everything you need to know about them!
That includes:
- Key differences between lithium-ion and lead-acid
- The major features, advantages, and benefits of lithium-ion
- What you need to be aware of before considering a switch to Li-ion
- Major lithium-ion forklift battery manufacturers
- How much lithium-ion forklift batteries cost
- And lots more…
Let’s dive in!
Is It Worth It to Buy Lithium Forklift Batteries?
The short answer is: If you are a medium to large-size operation running multiple shifts, lithium-ion forklift batteries could be a very good option for you.
Why?
Because even though lithium forklift battery prices are currently higher compared to lead-acid batteries, they offer a lot of cost-saving benefits in the long run.
Lithium forklift battery’s ROI is also often achievable within 36 months. Overall, lithium-ion forklift batteries are 40% more energy-efficient than lead-acid. And they’re 88% more efficient than diesel.
Lithium-ion batteries are designed to last longer, making them a good choice for operations where changing the battery is inconvenient.
They can also withstand extremely low temperatures without failing, making them ideal for outdoor applications.
Lithium-Ion vs. Lead-Acid Forklift Batteries
There are 2 basic power types for electric forklifts: lead-acid and lithium-ion.
But what’s the actual difference between these 2 technologies?
Lead-Acid Battery Chemistry
Lead-acid batteries have been the most common type of battery for a long time. Their technology goes back to the mid-1800s. Also called “wet cell batteries,” lead-acid forklift batteries are relatively inexpensive.
Lead-acid batteries generate electricity through an electrochemical reaction between lead plates and a mixture of 30 to 50% sulfuric acid and distilled water (called an “electrolyte solution”). The components of lead-acid batteries include:
- Cells
- Bars
- Plates of lead dioxide
- Cables
- Electrolyte
The electrical ions flow from the sulfuric acid to the negative plate, generating electricity.
Lead-Acid Battery Charging
It takes longer to charge lead-acid batteries than it does lithium-ion. It’s mostly done through conventional charging, usually after a shift, using a low current for about 8 to 10 hours until it’s charged 100%. This longer charging is followed by 6 to 8 hours of cooling before using the battery again.
Conventional charging is mostly done overnight and is best for single-shift operations. This also means lead-acid batteries don’t usually undergo opportunity charging. It can damage the battery quickly, wear it out quicker, and reduce its cycles. Overall, lead-acid forklift batteries have a shorter lifespan: typically, 3 to 5 years (or between 1,000 and 1,500 charging cycles) under normal 40-hour week operations.
Lithium-Ion Battery Chemistry
Lithium-ion batteries have become more widespread in consumer electronics in the past few decades. Now, lithium-ion is becoming an increasingly popular forklift motive technology.
Lithium-ion forklift batteries are composed of the following:
- a cathode,
- electrolyte (lithium),
- anode,
- separator, and
- 2 current collectors (positive and negative).
To generate electric energy, different chemistries occur in lithium-ion batteries, with the most popular one for forklifts being lithium iron phosphate.
The anode and cathode store the lithium. When a lithium-ion battery is discharging, the electrolyte moves from the anode to the cathode through the separator carrying positively charged lithium-ions from the anode to the cathode. When the battery is charging, the electrolyte liquid moves from the cathode to the anode through the separator, carrying negatively charged lithium-ions.
Lithium-ion batteries are easily charged through opportunity charging because they’re fast charging. This charging uses a specialized charger with a high current to charge the battery quickly. Opportunity charging can be done on a need basis or when it’s most convenient, making lithium-ion batteries more efficient. If maintained well, a lithium-ion forklift battery will last between 2,000 and 3,000 cycles or about 7 to 10 years of 300 workdays per year.
Lithium-Ion Forklift Battery Pros
Lithium-ion batteries can offer your operations increased efficiency. If the conditions are right for the investment, there is available space for charging, and your budget allows, several key factors may lead you to adopt this energy solution.
Increased Productivity
Lithium-ion forklift batteries take less time to charge than lead-acid batteries, which also need time to rest before they can be used again. A lithium-ion battery can get fully charged in less than 2 hours and does not require a cooling-off period like lead-acid batteries.
Lithium-ion batteries can be charged in 15-30-minute spurts, called opportunity charging, allowing you to charge them during lunch, breaks, or anytime the forklift is idle for a few minutes. This allows multi-shift operations. In addition, lithium-ion batteries can last longer on a single charge than lead-acid batteries.
Compared to lead-acid batteries’ linear discharge curve, the lithium-forklift battery discharge curve is much flatter. This means that over a wide operating range, the voltage at the battery terminals changes very slightly, allowing the battery to hold more power even when almost fully discharged. It can be used up to beyond 80% state-of-charge (SoC) but not to zero. When the SoC reaches zero, there may be a charge remaining in the battery, and further discharge may damage it. With Li-ion, your fleet will benefit from lower downtime and increased productivity and throughput.
Opportunity Charging
Forklift battery charging is an important factor to consider. You can top up lithium-ion forklift batteries during 15-30-minute breaks within the day (known as opportunity charging). While you can opportunity charge a lead-acid battery, it shortens the battery life. Furthermore, lithium-ion batteries can fully charge in as little as 1 hour or a maximum of 2 hours. That’s 8 times quicker than a lead-acid battery, without the need for cooling down time. This is why it’s possible for 1 lithium-ion battery to power three shifts. They store 4X more energy and are 30% more energy efficient.
Less Maintenance
Like forklift maintenance, forklift batteries also require maintenance. If lead-acid batteries aren’t maintained properly, they undergo a chemical process called battery sulfation. This can cause them to break down. Thus, you must maintain their level of water and electrolyte, topping up the battery with distilled water regularly to maintain its health. Maintenance can be time-consuming and costly. This is different in lithium-ion batteries, which require little to no maintenance.
Lithium-ion batteries don’t need to be topped with water and do not require any such frequent maintenance procedures, such as equalizing charging and cleaning. They come equipped with sealed cells that you don’t have to wash or add water to keep the batteries operational. This also reduces maintenance labor and costs. Also, depending on your operation you don’t have to remove or swap batteries within your workday because a Li-ion battery can remain inside the forklift longer.
No watering, removing the battery, or other maintenance also means no watering areas or maintenance areas, which saves facility and storage space.
Energy Efficient
Lead-acid batteries bleed energy while discharging, charging, or sitting idle, leaving only about 80% of the energy used for charging the battery available as the output. This makes lead-acid batteries energy inefficient and adds up electricity costs. On the other hand, lithium-ion batteries are more energy efficient because they have minimal losses, leaving most of the energy used for charging available as an output, sometimes up to 99%. So, lithium-ion batteries can help you reduce electricity costs because they provide more output owing to minimal energy losses.
Supports Multi-Shift Operations
If your operations last 16 or 24 hours a day, battery charging times are crucial for smooth operations. Why? A typical battery discharges in about 6 to 8 hours. This is where there’s a key difference between lead-acid forklift batteries and lithium-ion forklift batteries.
A typical lead-acid battery requires about 8 hours to charge, followed by 8 hours of cooling. This is about 16 hours before the battery can be used again. So, you may need 2 to 3 lead-acid batteries per forklift for a multi-shift operation or you’ll experience downtimes. A lithium-ion forklift battery gets fully charged in 2 hours or less and does not require a cooling-off period. Plus, you can charge your Li-ion battery in 15-30-minute spurts, called opportunity charging. This allows charging top-ups during breaks or anytime the forklift is idle and supports multi-shift operations with just 1 battery per forklift.
Better Safety
Forklift battery safety is an important factor in forklift operation. OSHA data shows that most battery-related incidents occur during battery moving or watering. Since lead-acid batteries are composed of 2 high-risk chemicals- sulfuric acid and lead – they pose a safety hazard to operators and the environment. Sulfuric acid can contact and burn the skin or eyes of workers requiring PPE like splash-proof goggles, acid-resistant aprons, face-shield, and rubber gloves.
Lead-acid batteries are also highly explosive and risk explosion while being charged, especially if the charging room isn’t well-ventilated. Among other measures, you also need to install hydrogen sensors in your lead-acid battery storage and charging room(s). Lithium-ion forklift batteries are different. Lithium-ion batteries are much safer than lead-acid batteries because they don’t pose as many health risks/hazards. They’re completely sealed and operators don’t have to open the battery compartment for watering, reducing the danger of electrolyte spills, toxic fumes, or sulfation like in lead-acid batteries. This also means no PPE is required, reducing the cost of operation and warehouse safety. In addition, there’s no getting hot with Li-ion batteries because they don’t overheat. Maybe their heat reaches 5 to 6 degrees warmer only.
Less Charging Equipment Required
If you’re using lead-acid batteries, you may need multiple of them per forklift during operations. This may also require you to save their additional storage space. Additionally, you’ll need to ensure a safe storage environment, away from hot air ducts and other heat sources, away from direct sunlight, and well-ventilated. You must also follow a safe charging process to avoid acid spills or leaks that can cause burns, corrosion, and other hazards. All these guidelines require trained personnel and resources. But lithium-ion batteries are easy to charge and require little to no maintenance. You don’t need additional storage infrastructure as you don’t need multiple batteries per forklift.
Higher Return on Investment
Lithium-ion forklift batteries last longer than lead-acid batteries. Whereas a lead-acid battery might last 1,500 cycles under good maintenance, a lithium forklift battery lifespan can last between 2,000 and 3,000 cycles. Intermittent charging of a few minutes (for instance, 15 to 3 minutes) reduces the lifespan of lead-acid batteries but does not reduce the lifespan of a Li-ion battery. And, if running lithium-ion batteries in a forklift for 3,000 hours per year, you could achieve an ROI in less than 36 months.
How?
- You don’t need to buy extra batteries (for changeovers) because they charge quickly (allow opportunity charging). This also saves facility space.
- You don’t need more charging stations. Lithium-ion chargers are very small compared to lead-acid, saving on facility space.
- Opportunity charging and fast-charging without damage. You can top up lithium-ion batteries during 15-30-minute breaks (known as opportunity charging). While you can charge a lead-acid battery, it can burn it up and shorten the battery life.
- Less downtime. Opportunity charging helps reduce downtime and increase your fleet’s performance. Also, lithium-ion forklift batteries last 4X longer than lead-acid batteries, increasing your efficiency.
Lithium-Ion Forklift Battery Cons
There aren’t many downsides to lithium-ion forklift batteries. But, no solution is 100% perfect. So, here are the top drawbacks of lithium-ion forklift batteries.
Higher Cost of Acquisition
To be frank, the key con to lithium-ion batteries is the price. To purchase a lithium-ion forklift battery, you’ll pay $17,000-$20,000 per battery (on average). The upfront cost of acquiring a lead-acid battery is lower than a lithium-ion forklift battery. The initial investment for a lithium-ion forklift battery may be as much as twice that for a lead-acid battery.
Greater Demand on Electrical Infrastructure
Since Li-ion battery charging is faster, they also require higher input current. You may need to undertake an energy audit on your facility to understand if you need to revamp your electrical infrastructure to efficiently charge Li-ion forklift batteries. This will also be a large one-time cost of adopting the Li-ion batteries to power your forklifts.
Hazardous Disposal
Lithium-ion batteries can present various risks or hazards when not handled properly. This is why the U.S. Department of Transportation monitors the handling, transferring, documenting, and lithium forklift battery disposal. To safely recycle a lithium-ion forklift battery, it must first undergo a range of safety measures. You can work with your local forklift dealers to determine where to take your lithium-ion forklift battery for proper disposal.
How to Determine if Lithium-Ion Is the Right Fit
The company is the world’s best lithium ion iron phosphate battery supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff is highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.
In material handling operations, efficiency and productivity are 2 important keys to success. Why? There is only so much time in the day. So, whenever you can find a way to do more in less time, you’ll gain a competitive advantage. Can a lithium forklift battery offer you that? Here’s what to consider.
Do You Run a Multi-Shift Operation?
Multi-shift applications such as manufacturing, 3PL, food processing, and other 24/7 material handling operations benefit most from lithium-ion batteries. They can use just 1 lithium-ion battery per truck. Busy, multi-shift operations gain the biggest benefits of switching to lithium-ion forklift batteries. Their only complaint is: we should have switched sooner. For these multi-shift operations: lithium-ion batteries may be able to pay for themselves in as little as 36 months. For single-shift operations, lithium-ion forklift batteries’ ROI timeframe can be longer – 5 years or more.
Do You Have a Freezer/Cold Storage Environment?
Lead-acid batteries don’t handle cold or freezing conditions well. Their capacity can decrease up to 35%. Lithium-ion forklift batteries maintain their capacity in cold temperatures much better than lead-acid batteries and can be fast-charged in cold temperatures, even inside freezers. So, operations, where forklifts operate in cold/freezing environments, can quickly benefit from lithium-ion forklift batteries.
Do You Operate On Tight Margins?
If you’re operating in tight margins, you’ll benefit from switching to lithium-ion forklift batteries. Why? When you switch to lithium forklift batteries, you can reduce energy bills, reclaim real estate and improve productivity. These changes are immediate. Lithium-ion forklift batteries can be 40% more energy efficient than lead-acid batteries, and 88% more efficient than diesel. So, lead-acid forklift batteries might be cheaper upfront but are more expensive to own and maintain. Increased productivity and lower energy bills are just 2 key money-saving reasons to start using lithium-ion forklift batteries.
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