Electric forklifts and diesel forklifts differ mainly in power sources, environmental friendliness, cost, and maintenance requirements.
Main differences:
Power Source
Electric forklift: uses battery as the power source, usually lithium battery or lead-acid battery forklift. After the battery is charged, it can drive the forklift to work.
Diesel forklift: uses diesel engine as power source, and provides power by burning diesel.
Environmental protection
Electric forklift: no emission, no exhaust gas is generated during operation, more environmentally friendly, suitable for use in closed environments or environments with high air quality requirements (such as warehouses, workshops, etc.).
Diesel forklift: exhaust gas is emitted, noise is generated, and air pollution is polluted. Good ventilation conditions are required when using it, and it is usually suitable for outdoor or indoor places with sufficient ventilation.
Noise
Electric forklift: relatively quiet, low noise when working, suitable for use in crowded places.
Diesel forklift: due to the operation of diesel engine, the noise is relatively large, and it is usually suitable for environments requiring lower noise.
Operation cost
Electric forklift: the operation cost of electric forklift is relatively low, the cost of electricity is usually cheaper than diesel, and the cost of battery charging is cheaper than refueling. The battery replacement cycle is long, but the initial investment in the battery is high.
Diesel forklift: The fuel cost of diesel forklift is higher, but the refueling process is relatively simple, which is suitable for long-term continuous work.
Maintenance requirements
Electric forklift: Relatively simple, mainly focusing on the maintenance and replacement of batteries (such as replacement when the battery life expires), without engine maintenance issues.
Diesel forklift: The diesel engine oil, filter, fuel system and other components need to be replaced regularly. Due to the complexity of diesel engines, the workload of maintenance and maintenance is large.
Applicable environment
Electric forklift: Suitable for indoor work, relatively closed or environmentally demanding places, such as food, medicine, electronics and other industries. It is also suitable for low temperature or clean environment.
Diesel forklift: Suitable for outdoor operations, especially in environments with high load requirements, such as construction sites, logistics parks, ports, etc.
Endurance and refueling/charging time
Electric forklift: Endurance is related to battery capacity. Generally, it needs to be charged during work breaks. The charging time may take several hours, and long-term use may affect work efficiency.
Diesel forklift: Diesel forklifts have a shorter refueling time and longer endurance, which is suitable for long-term, high-intensity work, especially continuous operation.
Initial cost
Electric forklift: The initial purchase cost of electric forklifts is usually high, especially lithium battery forklifts, but with the advancement of battery technology, the price has gradually decreased.
Diesel forklift: The initial purchase cost of diesel forklifts is relatively low, but the long-term use cost is higher.
If you pay attention to environmental protection, noise control, indoor use or low maintenance costs, electric forklifts are a better choice. If you need to operate for a long time, heavy load or outdoors, and have high requirements for cost control, diesel forklifts are a more suitable choice.