If you’re looking to invest in an electric forklift, you might have come across Doosan’s models. Doosan has developed a reputation in the forklift world for providing a wide range of forklifts, suitable for a number of purposes, that offer both reliability and value for money. But electric forklifts are still relatively new, so how do you know if they’ll work for you or not?
What is a Doosan electric forklift?
First, it makes sense to know what we’re dealing with. A Doosan electric forklift is like any other forklift, except it has an electric motor that’s powered by a battery in place of the traditional engine. Usually, forklifts run on fossil fuels, most often diesel, because they tend to be in operation for a long time and diesel engines are generally robust enough to handle this. Doosan electric forklifts just have a motor and a battery, however. Other than that, they operate in exactly the same way as any other Doosan forklifts would.
What are the benefits of Doosan electric forklifts?
A Doosan electric forklift has many benefits to offer a broad range of businesses. The first is that they are much quieter and cleaner to operate. Diesel is a dirty fuel and produces a large amount of thick sooty exhaust fumes. These are of course environmentally damaging, but they’re also just simply unpleasant in a work environment – especially one that is covered or not properly ventilated. Doosan electric forklifts don’t have an exhaust at all, as they use the battery to operate the motor. Not only that, but they’re also almost completely silent, which can eliminate the constant clatter of a diesel engine running all day long.
Those environmental benefits are strongly worth considering, especially for businesses that rely heavily on their forklifts. If your forklift is operating all day, it will be consciously belching diesel fumes into the air. Not only is this bad for the environment, but it’s also not great for human health either – diesel fumes are more increasingly being understood to be full of nitrous oxide (nOX) particles, which have been linked to increased risks of cancer and ongoing breathing difficulties.
Are Doosan electric forklifts affordable?
Working out the costs of Doosan electric forklifts requires you to take a look at the costs over the life of the vehicle, rather than just the initial purchase price. Generally, for now, at least, Doosan electric forklifts are going to be a little more expensive to buy or rent than their fossil-fuelled counterparts. This is because the technology is still relatively new in its implementation. In the time that cost will continue to come down, especially as battery technology improves and becomes more widely used.
The thing to remember, however, is that you do still stand to make savings with Doosan electric forklift trucks over a diesel model. A Doosan electric forklift can be refuelled much more cheaply, as the base price of electricity is still lower than diesel. If you choose to integrate a source of renewable energy generation into your facility, such as solar panels, you could in theory fuel your Doosan electric forklifts for free – they will use nothing more than the renewable energy you generate.
Are Doosan electric forklifts reliable?
The thing about a forklift is that it has to, above all else, be reliable. Many businesses consider their forklift fleet to be their backbone. Doosan electric forklifts are superbly reliable in that regard. Indeed they can be much less troublesome than their fossil-fuelled counterparts. The thing about an internal combustion engine is that it’s a complex piece of machinery that requires servicing and maintenance over the course of its life in order to keep it working smoothly. And even then, accidents can happen.
Doosan electric forklifts, on the other hand, are so much simpler by comparison. There is a battery and an electric motor, and that’s it. There’s no complicated engine to service, which means the likelihood for breakdowns is considerably smaller, and your servicing costs are drastically reduced. In the unlikely event there is an issue with the battery, it can be replaced very quickly. This means you don’t have to worry about scheduling so much maintenance downtime, which ultimately improves the efficiency of your operation.
Something else to consider is that Doosan electric forklifts are much less prone to freezing up in cold weather conditions. There’s so much less pipework, and the relative simplicity of the motors means they work reliably in all weathers and temperatures.
In many cases, batteries can be removed and recharged on a rolling basis, which means it takes a matter of moments to swap out a discharged battery for one that has been charging. The discharged battery can then recharge while the freshly charged battery continues to power the forklift – this means that electric forklifts can fit very neatly into 24/7 logistics operations.
Are Doosan electric forklifts suitable for your business?
You might wonder if Doosan electric forklifts will be appropriate for use in your business. The reality of the matter is that wherever a conventionally fuelled forklift can be used, Doosan electric forklifts can be used too. This means that any sort of shipping and logistics operation, factory, builder’s merchant, fulfilment centre, or any other similar business can stand to benefit.
Doosan electric forklifts require minimal alteration to your current infrastructure – all you need is a way to charge the batteries and you’re ready to use them. They operate in exactly the same way as any other Doosan forklift, which means you don’t have to invest in expensive operator training in order to enjoy the benefits. You can just charge them up and go!
With Doosan electric forklifts, you stand to make savings in your otherwise costly fuel consumption. You also stand to improve the reputation of your brand by making an environmentally conscious choice in your infrastructure, while at the same time making your workplace a more comfortable and hygienic place for your employees. The best way to experience a Doosan electric forklift, however, is to try one for yourself to get a practical and hands-on understanding of the many benefits you can expect.
If you’re looking to add a Doosan to your forklift fleet then get in touch with our team today to discuss.
