Internal Combustion Lift Trucks
Internal combustion lift trucks are members of classes IV and V. Normally, they are available in diesel, liquid propane or gas units. Mostly, the ICE or internal combustion engine units are used outside, as they emit some emissions and are able to operate in rough weather conditions. However, propane-powered units, could be utilized indoors provided that proper ventilation is used. It is best to determine what types of environments you will be operating in and what particular requirements you need to utilize the forklift for, to be able to make sure that you select the right model which would meet your needs.
Internal Combustion Engine Benefits
Some of the benefits of ICE include a lower initial purchase price, compared to a similar capacity electric truck. This can range anywhere from 20% to 40% lower. The ICE units are simple and fast to refuel. This feature really reduces downtime as there is no requirement to recharge any batteries, as there is with electric models.
Usually, ICE units offer higher performance capabilities compared to the similarly equipped electric truck. The heavier capacity is often available in these units compared to electric trucks. Over recent years, there have been numerous advancements regarding emissions technology and this has resulted in lesser total levels of emission. ICE trucks remain popular with load sizes around 8000 lbs. and even a lot higher in particular applications such as ports, lumberyard settings and steel manufacturing facilities.
ICE Disadvantages
There are several drawbacks to the ICE models. For example, they utilize a higher cost-per-hour to operate as compared to electric trucks. This is mostly because of maintenance costs and fuel. What's more, these units normally produce more noise than the electric units since they run louder. Internal Combustion Engine trucks also have fuel-storage requirements to take into consideration as well.