How your Business Can Get Ahead with Gas Forklifts
Materials handling is crucial for manufacturing businesses these days, so choosing the right equipment for the job can save time and money. Gas forklifts have many advantages, offering a versatile and eco-friendly choice over alternatives.
Investing in forklifts is no small deal for any business, large or small. Equipment such as this is costly. In choosing the product that is right for you, cost, maintenance, versatility and safety are probably your key considerations in the first instance. Traditionally, businesses have opted for either diesel forklifts or electric forklifts but there is increasingly a case for gas powered forklifts, as they can offer some advantages their competition does not.
How does gas compare to electric?
Electric vehicles are a popular choice for many businesses and offer a quiet, no fumes option particularly for indoor use. They carry batteries which require charging regularly. While some people may think only of garden heaters or home heating when it comes to gas, it does have wider use in industry. LPG forklifts can offer similar benefits but without some of the negatives of their electric counterparts. Able to operate both in and out of doors, gas powered forklifts actually have a smaller carbon footprint than electric and don’t carry the same possibility of loss of performance as the batteries drain. Electric vehicles can also struggle with gradients a problem that a gas equivalent can overcome. Gas also is far quicker to re-fuel than the several hours that many electric vehicles require to re-charge before they can begin work once more. When time is money, this is one serious advantage.
How does gas compare to diesel?
Diesel has some advantages over electric vehicles, including no loss of power, even in 24 hour operation, fast refueling and the sheer power to cope with all kinds of terrain and slopes. They are only suitable for outdoor use due to emissions. LPG forklifts can compete with diesel on many fronts. They are versatile for indoor and outdoor use making for more efficient materials handling and also have the power to cope with slopes and uneven territory. Unlike diesel vehicles which run the risk of spillage and contamination, LPG evaporates as it hits the atmosphere, leaving behind no costly clean-up operation in its wake.
LPG gas fuelled forklifts are increasingly on the agenda for businesses with practicality, the environment and costs in mind. Some businesses have raised concerns regarding availability and quality of gas. Some manufacturers have been able to counter this by fitting smart devices inside cylinders, notifying them of low fuel supply. New technologies have also been applied to trap any foreign materials in the gas and prevent damage to the equipment, as well as the time and cost involved in repair. Electric and diesel forklifts offer plenty of advantages, but any business reviewing its materials handling equipment would do well to consider the benefits of an LPG option in the mix.
AUTHOR BIO:
Smith is an experienced forklift driver, having worked in one of the UK’s leading forklift manufacturing companies for over ten years. In his time he has operated both electric and diesel vehicles and has been pleased to see increasing numbers of gas forklifts available from companies such as Calor. He is now a writer specialising in business and industry based topics.
Category: Business
