If you run a cold storage, multi-shift or manufacturing operation, or if your business operates on slim profit margins, this article is a must-read. If you’ve never considered lithium-ion batteries because of the cost, we’re going to share two stats that might change your mind.
Are lithium-ion forklift batteries worth the extra cost? An increasing number of operations think so.
In the manufacturing industry, China is #1. China produces more products than any other country in the world, which means they buy hundreds of thousands of forklifts every year, and more than one in four electric forklifts uses a lithium-ion battery.
Stateside, a major equipment manufacturer recently saved more than $1 million dollars per year by switching to lithium-ion batteries. After crunching the numbers, the company discovered they spent $4,800 per day:
● Paying employees to swap batteries twice per shift
● Creating 15 min of downtime with every swap (90 min per day)
● Wasting money on electricity (lithium-ion batteries are 40 percent more energy-efficient)
If you read the information above and thought, “Eh, I don’t run a manufacturing operation,” or “I only have a small fleet of forklifts,” here’s one more stat to consider:
An average facility spends 15 percent of its operating budget on energy costs. Whenever you can make that number go down, profits go up. Lithium-ion batteries use 30-50 percent less energy than lead-acid batteries, which quickly adds up to big savings.
While the initial capital investment of BSLBATT’s forklift lithium ion batteries (LIBs) appears to be high in comparison to lead acid batteries (LABs), a positive return on investment could be observed as early as the second year. Factoring in an equipment lifetime of up to 10 years, the total cost savings behind adopting LIBs could be immense especially for a large fleet.
For heavy duty users, typically characterized by a 24/7 work structure such as a Walmart distribution center, forklift vehicles undergo multiple LAB changes a day in an effort to meet productivity requirements. Using an example of a 100-forklift fleet, up to 200-300 LABs could be swapped on a daily basis, requiring significant resources and labor time as well as a suitable battery changing room to manage these exchanges. In the case of BSLBATT’s LIBs, there is and has been no need for battery swapping or a battery changing room as (fast) charging is done during opportunity breaks such as lunch/coffee breaks, washroom breaks, and shift change-overs. This battery changing operation bears a heavy cost and for this reason, is arguably the most important factor in driving the migration of LABs to LIBs. Furthermore, BSLBATT’s LIBs are capable of achieving full charge in under one hour and on a single charge will move more pallets than LABs.
Given LIBs inherently higher efficiency over LABs, there is less electricity consumed when charging to a full state due to less energy loss. Additionally, LIBs do not require any equalizing charges, a maintenance practice performed on LABs to overcharge and rejuvenate its capacity. Both of these factors, combined with the long runtime of BSLBATT’s LIBs, result in major utility cost savings.
While economical on day one of implementation, LABs require regular and frequent servicing including battery washing, watering, and changing equipment maintenance. These routine tasks are not present for BSLBATT’s LIBs, which only require minimal maintenance consisting of an annual inspection of the equipment.
Overall, the savings in productivity, energy, and maintenance cost all contribute to a substantially lower cost of ownership of BSLBATT’s LIBs over LABs.
To be completely frank, there’s only one con to lithium-ion batteries, the price. You’ll pay, on average, $17,000-$20,000 per battery. But remember, lithium-ion batteries last four times longer, so you’ll buy forklift batteries less often.
Cold Storage/Freezer Applications - lead-acid batteries can’t handle the cold. Capacity can decrease up to 35 percent. Lithium-ion forklift batteries maintain their capacity in cold temps much better than lead-acid and can be fast-charged in cold temps, even inside freezers.
Multi-Shift Applications - Stop swapping and start saving. Multi-shift operations are the businesses that benefit most from lithium-ion batteries. We have customers who run their operation 24/7 with just one lithium-ion battery per truck. Their only complaint is: we should have switched sooner.
Tight margins - When you switch to lithium-ion forklift batteries, you’ll immediately reduce energy bills, reclaim real estate and improve productivity. Lithium-ion forklift batteries are 40 percent more energy efficient than lead-acid, and (in case you were wondering) 88 percent more efficient than diesel.
An increasing number of operations have done the math and come to the conclusion that lead-acid forklift batteries, though cheaper upfront, are more expensive to own. Lower energy bills and increased productivity are just two of the many money-saving reasons to switch to lithium-ion
- For multi-shift operations: lithium-ion batteries pay for themselves in just a few years.
- For single-shift operations, lithium-ion batteries typically pay for themselves in five years or less.
Converting your existing electric forklift(s) to lithium-ion batteries is easy. The retro-fit simply requires installing the new battery and adding the charge meter.
Let us know what questions you have about lithium-ion forklift batteries. We’ll be happy to provide answers and help you decide if lithium-ion is the right choice for your business. Contact a forklift battery expert at BSLBATT lithium forklift Battery online or by phone:
phone +86 752-2819-469
e-mail: inquiry@bsl-battery.com
