If you’re familiar with electric forklifts, you probably know the obvious reasons to add them to your fleet: low emissions, less maintenance, and lower overall costs. These are significant benefits that save companies a lot of time and money. However, it’s easy to overlook some of the less-obvious advantages. Here are five hidden benefits electric forklifts can bring to your company:

  1. Less noise pollution. Like electric cars, electric forklifts are quieter than forklifts with engines, which means less noise pollution for your forklift operators and company associates.
  2. Greater visibility. A rear-mounted LPG tank takes up a lot of space. Without one, forklift operators see much better when driving in reverse.
  3. Safer environment. Greater visibility and a quieter environment mean operators can see better, and pedestrians can hear the backup beeping and safety horns louder, which helps reduce the risk of accidents in the workplace.
  4. Use less space. Electric forklifts are generally smaller than LPG or diesel-powered forklifts, which means they can fit in narrow aisles and need less space to store when not in use. You also need less space for fuel storage. Warehouse Operations Manager Scott Woollard from Hirsh Pipe & Supply has experienced this benefit firsthand. He says, “Switching from propane to electric forklifts saves us the hassle of handling and storing propane tanks. Now we have a small battery-charging area in the back and use an existing wall mount charger, which takes up much less valuable space.”
  5. Make money from California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) designated electricity used in forklifts as a low-carbon fuel effective January 1, 2016. Since then, forklifts and forklift fleets that use electricity can generate credits in the program. Refiners, or other regulated entities, buy these credits to offset the deficits they create in the program. For more information on how to take advantage of this program, click here to read our blog post: How California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard Can Bolster Your Budget.

Need help with your forklift fleet? Our experts can help you decide if an electric lift truck is the right fit for you.  

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