How Innovation and Technology Can Profit the Environment without Impacting Profitability

How Innovation and Technology Can Profit the Environment without Impacting Profitability

By Greg Mason, General Manager – Products & Training,
Jungheinrich Lift Truck Corporation

“Greenification” is everywhere! If you Google “Going Green” you will return over one hundred fifty six million hits (at the time of this writing). To be fair, “Greenification” is not really everywhere – returning less than seven thousand hits. The point is that environmental awareness and awareness of the impact of activities on the environment is increasing. More people and more businesses are taking time to consider what they do, and how they do it, with the goal of reducing negative effects on the environment.

The heightened awareness of the day is driving interest in reducing energy waste and emissions. Considering that the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated the 2007 IC forklift population to be over eight hundred thousand units, the opportunity to dramatically reduce energy waste and emissions is significant. The EPA classifies the IC forklifts by the type of fuel used; predominantly Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and Diesel; as well as by the horsepower (hp) rating of the engine. The vast majority of IC forklifts use LPG as their fuel source and have 50+ hp or 100+ hp engines. In fact, LPG forklifts with 50+ and 100+ hp engines amount to over three hundred eighty four thousand forklifts. It should be noted that these engine sizes are typically found in forklifts with capacities of five to six thousand pounds (for the 50+ hp engines) and greater than ten thousand pounds (for the 100+ hp engines). Users of the 50+ hp LPG engines, in particular, now have the best possibility to reduce wasted energy and emissions due to the availability of viable alternatives.

According to a 2007 EPA report, the LPG forklifts in use with the aforementioned engine sizes will work an average of eighteen hundred hours in a year and, as a group, will discharge over seven hundred thousand tons of carbon monoxide (CO); one hundred twenty two thousand tons of Nitrous Oxides (NOx); and eleven million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. These, combined with their additional emissions, make LPG forklifts in particular, and all IC forklifts in general, good places to start when companies are looking for ways reduce their impact on the environment.

Until recently, however, the belief was that moving from an IC forklift to a forklift with cleaner technology would mean having to sacrifice in performance, productivity, operational flexibility, ease of refueling, or cost of operation. Additionally, it was generally assumed that an IC forklift could be kept running with “rubber bands and chewing gum” – in other words: IC trucks were perceived to have simpler technology than forklifts with other power sources, were easier to keep running, and cost less to operate. Companies that weighed the costs and benefits of moving from IC forklifts to electrics felt that the costs would just be too great. This is, however, no longer the case.

With respect to performance and productivity: extensive use of alternating current (AC) technology and the utilization of higher system voltages in modern electric forklifts means that the decision to shift from an IC forklift to an electric forklift can be made with confidence. Higher voltage AC electric forklifts have performance levels that can meet or exceed IC forklift performance levels; AC forklift performance is consistent as the battery discharges through the operating shift, which makes the AC electric forklift similar to an IC forklift in terms of consistent performance; high voltages keep electrical losses to a minimum for high levels of energy efficiency, which means that less energy is wasted in an AC electric forklift than in an IC forklift; lower electrical losses and greater efficiency also ensure that components operate at lower temperatures which leads to greater component reliability and lower cost of operation.

In terms of operational flexibility: some electric lift truck manufactures are focusing on truck designs with increased protection levels for critical truck components. The specific purpose of this is to allow the electric trucks to function as well outside the warehouse as they do inside the warehouse. Higher ingress protection (IP) levels are required for trucks to function reliably in applications outside of a flat, dry warehouse – to which electric forklifts have historically been restricted. IP ratings provide an “at a glance” method of identifying how well protected a component is from dirt and moisture. Increased IP levels are incorporated into the electric forklift motor and controller designs as well as the electrical connections – the latter through the use of automotive type connectors on the electric trucks. Furthermore, the use of sealed brake components keeps dirt and moisture out of critical brake assemblies for more reliable and consistent performance. Of course, by design, electric forklift speed is reduced through motor-braking rather than through the use of common wheel brakes. This results in minimal wear of the brake pads and contributes to the overall lower level of maintenance required for the electric forklifts as compared to IC forklifts.

In spite of the dramatic improvements that have been made in the application flexibility of electric forklifts, there are still some applications for which only IC forklifts are suitable – such as those with wet, unpaved surfaces, those where the forklift will be exposed to prolonged rainfall, or those applications requiring direct power washing of truck power components. Intermittent exposure to rainfall is another story. Cabins can be incorporated into the configuration of the electric forklift to allow for periodic operation in the rain and for longer term operation in cold weather. In these instances, the cabin can dramatically improve operator comfort and provide additional protection for the control components of the forklift.

Advances have also been made in the “refueling” of electric forklifts such that the advantages that IC forklifts have had in the past are quickly disappearing. More efficient AC electric forklifts can now operate longer per battery charge than ever before. Additionally, advances in battery charging technologies, such as fast charging and high-frequency charging, can eliminate the need for additional batteries even in multiple shift applications. In parallel with battery charging technology advances, development of alternative battery types, such as lithium ion (Li-Ion) batteries continues, as does research and development of hydrogen fuel cell technology. All of these power source developments lead to an improved ability of the AC electric forklift to meet the application demands that have historically only been met by LPG forklifts.

Accepting, for the moment, that advanced AC electric forklifts have the ability to function in the same applications as the majority of LPG forklifts, and considering that there is an increased desire to be “green”, forklift users need to consider how much it will cost them to work with electric forklifts in lieu of IC forklifts. Without question, the up-front costs of an electric forklift are higher than those of an IC forklift truck. A significant reason for this is the need to pre-purchase the “fuel” for the electric forklift. Fuel for electric forklifts comes in the form of the battery. A battery charger must also be purchased. These costs are simply not a part of the IC forklift purchase, which can result in a significantly lower acquisition cost for the IC forklift. While up-front costs should be considered when determining the type of forklift to purchase, careful study of the operating and maintenance costs of the different technologies is paramount since this is where the majority of cost will be over the life of the forklift.

Once the battery and charger for the electric forklift have been purchased, the cost to recharge the battery is minimal – on the order of a few dollars per recharge. This will vary depending on the local utility rates. The cost to refuel an IC forklift is another matter. This cost will also vary based on local supply, but generally the cost to refuel an LPG truck can be ten to twenty times what it costs to recharge a battery. This means IC forklifts will have higher annual fuel costs, by many thousands of dollars, compared to electric forklifts. Refueling costs alone can quickly erase any acquisition cost advantage the IC forklift truck had. Additionally, truck reliability, maintenance costs, and the cost of maintaining air quality inside the warehouse must be considered when comparing electric and IC forklifts. With significantly fewer moving parts and higher protection levels for critical components, electric forklifts can have significantly longer scheduled maintenance intervals and lower associated costs than IC forklifts, and since electric forklifts have zero emissions, there are no increased air quality considerations or costs.

As for the belief that IC forklifts can be kept running with the most basic tools, it should be recognized that more stringent emissions compliance requirements have resulted in the integration of advanced engine emission control systems that require specific training and tools for proper maintenance and operation. IC truck maintenance is no longer a simple or low technology matter. In this regard IC forklifts have control systems as comprehensive as electric forklifts and the technical skills of the service personnel must be at a very high level in order to maintain the equipment properly.

All of this results in the conclusion that AC electric trucks are capable of replacing IC forklifts in many applications that were previously believed to be restricted to IC forklifts. In fact, the decision to use AC electric forklifts rather than IC forklifts can result in significant reductions in greenhouse gas and other emissions for each IC forklift replaced; the same, if not better, performance and productivity; and lower costs of operation – with payback often within 2 years. So, rather than costing a company money to “go green”, the decision can actually result in money saved while reducing the impact on the environment.

Visit www.lift-truck-cost-tool.com to use real world data to calculate cost projections of the various forklift technologies available.