Electric or LPG – Which Forklift Is Best?

When choosing your next forklift, whether you’re looking at new forklifts or used forklifts, you may consider an LPG or Electric option, and be wondering which one would be best suited to your needs.

To help you make the choice, we’ve put together a list of pros and cons of each in this very short article. If you find it helpful, we’d love it if you gave it a share, to help others make the right choice when buying or renting their forklift.

Electric Forklifts

It’s the modern world. We’re all gradually moving away from fossil-fuelled vehicles and embracing electric alternatives. And the trend is no different for those thinking of buying or renting a forklift. But, are electric forklifts a viable alternative for a busy warehouse or factory, or a trend that will soon pass, like Beta Max videos (a reference for the Gen Zs out there), Crocs or Keep Calm and... signs?

To dig down a little deeper, here are some of the pros and cons of electric forklifts:

Pros of electric forklifts

• Electric forklifts don’t produce any emissions: This pro makes an electric forklift the ideal forklift for indoor use, especially in a warehouse or retail environment, where health and safety rules insist on clean air.


• Electric forklifts don’t require much servicing: Because the internal workings of an electric forklift basically consist of an electric powered motor, servicing requirements are minimal when compared to a petrol, diesel or LPG forklift.
  


• Electric forklifts are quiet: Again, this benefit makes an electric forklift the perfect solution for an indoor vehicle in a warehouse or retail facility, and it can operate without disturbing other workers or customers.

Cons of an electric forklift

• Electric forklifts are more expensive that LPG forklifts: Here we’re talking about the initial outlay for an electric forklift, although, over time with the savings made on servicing, you will get a good return on your investment.


• Electric forklifts need regular charging: Whether it’s every eight hours or more frequently, you will need to structure your working day around the downtime created when your electric forklift needs charging.


• Electric forklifts need charging points: This is an expense some people don’t think about when buying or renting an electric forklift, but installing a charging station is a vital consideration to make.

LPG Forklifts

Another alternative to a diesel or petrol forklift is a liquid petroleum gas (LPG) forklift, which as the name suggests, is a forklift powered by gas, instead of regular liquid fuel, such as diesel or petrol. But, is this the solution to your warehouse or retail facility’s loading and unloading needs, or is it a bit of a fad that’ll soon pass to be superseded by another technological advancement in the powering of forklifts.

To understand a bit more, here are a few of the pros and cons of an LPG forklift.

• LPG forklifts deliver consistent power: Unlike electric alternatives, LPG forklifts are able to deliver consistent power throughout each shift and longer.


• LPG forklifts are faster than electric forklifts: Not that speed will be your number one priority when choosing a forklift, but an LPG model will run faster, especially over rough terrain.


• Refuelling an LPG forklift is quicker than charging an electric forklift: The benefits to this feature are obvious, especially as downtime costs money.

Cons of an LPG forklift

• LPG forklifts do produce emissions: Although not in the same way diesel forklifts produce emissions, the emissions created by an LPG forklift may cause issues in confined spaces.


• LPG forklifts require more maintenance than electric forklifts: This is largely due to the more complex inner workings of an LPG forklift which are similar to a petrol or diesel engine.


• LPG forklifts are noisier than electric forklifts: Although a bit quieter than a diesel forklift, an LPG forklift is noisier than an electric alternative.

Conclusion

Both electric and LPG forklifts are viable alternatives to petrol and diesel-powered forklifts, and neither are fads or trends that are about to end. But, it is important when buying either of these options to make sure it’s the right option for your business and your budget, by talking it over with a forklift expert.

Contact us

If you’re looking to buy or rent a forklift, or for forklift servicing or repairs, get in touch with Beds & Bucks Forktrucks Ltd. today, either by using our website booking form, by email, or by phone, to speak directly to one of our forklift specialists.