Electric forklifts are an important part of modern warehousing, offering an eco-friendly and efficient alternative to traditional forklifts. Lithium-ion batteries provide many advantages including faster charging times. But to keep your electric forklift running smoothly, you will need to know how to properly charge it.
How do you Charge an Electric Forklift?
Before you start to charge your forklift, make sure you are following your workplace safety instructions. This could include wearing protective gear and checking any signs of damage to the battery or charger.
Once you have completed your necessary safety checks, you can start the process to charge your forklift.
- Ensure your electric forklift is turned off before attempting to charge it.
- Make sure the charger you are using is correct for the forklifts battery. Check the voltage as this can change depending on the forklift and charger.
- With the charger still off, connect it to the battery. The battery is typically under the operator’s seat.
- Turn on the charger once it has been securely connected. Some modern chargers can detect the battery’s percent and charge accordingly.
- Wait till your charger indicates the battery is fully charged. Try not to interrupt the charging process and allow your electric forklift to charge to full power. However a lithium-ion electric forklift doesn’t need to be fully charged and can be used even after a 15 minute charge.
- Once your forklift has fully charged, turn off and disconnect the charger. Make sure you put the charger back correctly to prevent ant damage.
How Long Does it Take to Charge an Electric Forklift?
Charging an electric forklift will depend on the battery’s capacity. The average time for electric forklift charging is eight hours.
It is important that after charging an electric forklift you allow the battery to cool before using the forklift again. This can prevent overheating and prolong your battery’s life.
An easy way to remember this is following the three eights rule. Eight hours use, eight hours of charging and eight hours of cooling. These numbers can vary depending on the model.
Whereas, charging a lithium-ion electric forklift typically takes one to three hours, depending on the battery. This allows you to quickly charge your forklift, reducing the amount of down time you have and increasing productivity.
As well as this a lithium-ion battery doesn’t need a cool down period before you operate it again. Here at Greenpower, all of our forklifts have lithium-ion batteries. This means you can benefit from faster charging and increase your work efficiency.
How to Maintain an Electric Forklift Battery
Maintaining your electric forklift’s battery is important to ensure your forklift’s lifespan and performance.
- Regular maintenance: Schedule regular maintenance checks to keep the battery and charger in good condition.
- Avoid overcharging: Overcharging your forklift can reduce the lifespan of the battery. Automatic chargers are a good choice as they turn off when the battery is fully charged.
- Clean connections: Ensure the battery connections are clean and free from corrosion.
Electric Forklifts at Greenpower
At Greenpower, we specialise in electric forklift with lithium-ion batteries. These forklifts not only offer environmental benefits but provide you with more efficiency and productivity.
Our team is dedicated to providing you with the best forklifts and support to meet your business needs. Get in touch to find out more or for any questions.