Saving money and improving productivity are critical priorities for your company. You can accomplish both by using lithium-ion batteries. Lithium-ion is an energy innovation that people and companies in all industries are using to their advantage. The lithium forklift battery has revolutionized industrial and manufacturing work of all types. But what makes these batteries such a worthwhile investment? Read on to learn more about Li-ion batteries ROI and why you should purchase and use them instead of lead-acid batteries.

Longer Life-Cycle

First and foremost, you’ll get a longer cycle life out of your lithium-ion batteries. You can expect them to last three times longer than lead-acid batteries.

These batteries are also more durable. You can charge them at your convenience, and there is zero daily maintenance. Make sure to choose the right battery capacity when making the investment. 

Use Less Energy Charging

Lithium-Ion batteries also use about 30% less energy when they get charged. You can feel the difference. Lead-acid batteries get hot while charging, but Li-ion batteries do not. While the turnaround time on charging lead-acid batteries could last between 8 to 12 hours, lithium-ion batteries are charged and ready for use in under 2 hours.  

The ease of charging gives you plenty of opportunities to charge your battery during breaks or other downtimes. What’s more, you won’t lose as much energy charging the battery, which saves you money in the long-term. 

Lithium-Ion batteries give you a 20-40% lower total cost of ownership in 2-4 years’ time.

Delaware’s Standard Distributing Co. learned first-hand about the value of switching to Li-ion. The company found the frequent cleaning and maintenance of its electric lift truck charging areas time consuming and laborious. When they switched, they were able to scale down their fleet from 17 trucks to 12 while still doing the same amount of work. 

A leading dairy producer with nearly 200 years in operation also maximized their work by switching to Lithium-Ion. Their use of lead-acid batteries had been taking its toll by emitting fumes and spilling acid. Since switching, battery charge time has been massively reduced and acid spills are a thing of the past. 

Allan Brothers is another food production company that saw huge rewards by leaving lead-acid for Lithium-Ion. They were accustomed to paying nearly $60,000 per year in the time spent changing batteries during a workday. The daily battery watering was also costing them close to $8,000 annually. Worse still, they were expanding, and investing in a new battery room would cost them more than $400,000. 

They cut every last one of these costs by switching to Lithium-Ion. Now their 30 lift trucks run more effectively without the previous maintenance costs. 

These results speak volumes.

Save Space

Lithium-ion batteries save space in your building. You save space because you don’t need to set aside a battery room like you would for lead-acid batteries.

If you already have a battery room, this room can be repurposed and used in ways that let you experience the return on investment (ROI) in full. 

Performance is Consistent and Efficient

Lithium-Ion batteries also flat-out work better. With lead-acid batteries, you’ll have to contend with a loss of voltage with normal use. In fact, lead-acid batteries begin to lose voltage within the first few hours of operation. 

The lead-acid battery’s reduced voltage means lower power output. This can result in slower lifting and travel speeds and more lift parts wear.

Conversely, lithium-ion batteries offer consistency and won’t compromise your machine’s overall productivity.

Safer and More Reliable

Each year, about 7,000 forklift accidents create injuries that cause missed workdays, according to the United States Bureau of Labor (BOL). 

Something as simple as switching to lithium-ion batteries can help you to reduce the likelihood of these accidents. Your business will run safer when your machines aren’t compromised by inferior batteries. Your personnel won’t be at risk because of the need to change the heavy batteries during the shift. 

You’ll also eliminate the risk of chemical burns or inhalation that are possible when you’re dealing with lead-acid batteries. Lithium-Ion batteries are safe and do not contain corrosive acid or emit toxic fumes. 

Low Maintenance

You buy time back with lithium-ion batteries because they’re so low maintenance. Using lead-acid batteries requires routinely adding water and performing an equalization charge. 

Conversely, lithium-ion batteries are plug and play, with zero daily maintenance. This gets you the performance that you’re looking for without having to worry about setbacks in your time and money. 

Become More Productive

You’ll find that you have more time on your side when you invest in lithium-ion batteries. Because you’re not constantly switching out the batteries or charging them, your workers can spend more time on task. 

Li-ion batteries have greater output, which also let your forklift operators handle bigger loads. Longer run-time means operators can get projects done in a timely manner. 

When your warehouse is more productive, you have better ROI and lower your overhead. You’ll see distinct improvements in your bottom line.

Starting off each shift with a fresh battery eliminates any breaks in the action or lapses in performance or output. 

These points alone make lithium-ion ideal for your forklift use. 

 

Understanding a Lithium-ion Battery ROI

The points above explain a Lithium-ion battery ROI and why this is the next investment that you should explore. If you’re in the industrial field, investing in the right batteries for your forklifts is absolutely essential.

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