Choosing an Electric Forklift with Lithium-Ion Battery
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Choosing an electric forklift with lithium-ion battery © 2020 Konecranes Plc. All rights reserved. Contents Introduction ................................................... 3 Safety ..........................................................13 Battery technology - lead acid vs lithium-ion ....4 Digitalization ................................................15 The business case for electrifiction - reasons to Spare parts & maintenance ...........................17 convert to electric forklifts................................7 Total cost of ownership .................................18 Li-ion battery: new but well-proven technology ...................................................10 Why you should buy a Konecranes electric forklift .........................................................19 2 © 2020 Konecranes Plc. All rights reserved. Electric heavy-duty forklifts are now being Big transport buyers like retailers, car manufacturers introduced by many manufacturers. A lot of and e-commerce companies have defined clear those are based on similar concepts and use requirements on how to qualify logistics partners. a similar design. Does the technology you For companies in the material handling and choose really matter, then? The clear answer transportation industry, this means that they will be is “Yes”. Under the hood, the difference could asked to present figures on their carbon footprint be significant. when they negotiate new contracts. Logistics providers around the globe are paying But the heart of the matter is the fact that buyers more and more attention to their carbon footprint. and users of forklift trucks are facing an increasing There is a common concern for the environment demand from their customers to present plans to and the well-being of coming generations. Today, a reduce the use of fossil fuels in their operations. Sustainability Officer is often a part of management teams in organizations of all sizes. The good news is that it is now possible to respond to these demands in a positive way which will benefit Sustainability is quickly becoming a key performance all of the parties involved. indicator for many companies. This is because the environment is seen as a common responsibility, Electric forklift trucks make up one part of the but it’s also good for business when a company equation. Lift trucks with zero engine emissions has a positive sustainability profile. Investors and open up a lot of possibilities, not only in terms of customers alike often inspecting the environmental improved eco-efficiency, but better ergonomics and record of the companies they engage with. less technical complexity as well, with only minor requirements for preventive maintenance. 3 © 2020 Konecranes Plc. All rights reserved. the atmosphere. Others choose them because they see a zero-emission engine vehicle as the future, with better performance and a chance to save on operational costs. These forklifts guarantee a much smaller environmental impact, not only in terms of greenhouse gases or particulate emissions, but in Why convert noise, vibration and risk of contamination as well. They also offer valuable new features for everyday to an electric use. Reduce your energy need forklift? In terms of energy use, electric motors are significantly more efficient than diesel engines. About 90% of electrical energy is converted to usable work, whereas diesel energy barely achieves 40%. Storing and re-using regenerated energy from braking adds even more efficiency to the electric driveline. The technology for diesel drivelines has evolved over more than a century and is today very sophisticated, particularly when it comes to fuel efficiency and reducing harmful tailpipe exhaust gas and particle emissions. Diesel engine technology is now so good that improving it has become quite difficult. It is impossible to reduce the CO2 emissions of a diesel driveline to zero. The level of carbon dioxide in the exhaust depends on the amount of carbon in the fuel and on the diesel engine’s fuel efficiency. To reduce CO2 and other exhaust gases still further, vehicle manufacturers have been turning to electric drives with energy storage primarily in lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. The process of electrification should aim to make the most of this new technical development and find ways to minimize the impact of the areas in which diesel still has a competitive advantage. There are companies that decide on Li-ion electric forklifts for their efficiency or their intention to minimize their contribution to fossil fuel emissions in 4 © 2020 Konecranes Plc. All rights reserved. Invest in the future Li-ion batteries make up a significant part of the Compact design, simplicity of construction and total cost of ownership an electric forklift, and controllability, and the ability to recover braking are the main reason for the price difference when energy, are all clear advantages of the electric forklift. compared to a diesel truck. However, if manufacturer recommendations are followed, it should last longer Include battery charging in daily than 3,000 charge cycles. In average conditions, this operations should be about 5 or 6 years of operation. So the forklift will probably require a new battery at some Charging a battery takes a lot longer than filling a fuel point during its lifetime. tank with diesel. However, once the charging cable has been connected, it is fully automatic, leaving In this way, it can be argued that battery costs can the driver free to do other things. The effect of be considered an operational expense when looking charging stops on operations can be minimized and at total cost of ownership. easily synchronized with food breaks. A full battery fast charge takes approximately 45 minutes. Usually operating between 20% - 90% state of charge, the forklift does not have to be driven until the battery is empty. Opportunity charging (taking advantage of shorter breaks to top up the charge) will help extend the operating range without affecting the life of the battery, if it is given a slower charge at night. This is not like lead acid batteries, which suffer from reduced lifetime if they are not recharged in full every time. How is productivity affected? Drivers appreciate the dynamic behaviour of electric Assuming the same usage data as in Figure 1, Figure trucks. The vehicles deliver full torque even at 2 shows that the hourly costs for operating a fossil low speed, making acceleration and lifting more fuel-free electric forklift are still lower than for the immediate and improving measurable performance same truck running on diesel. parameters beyond those of a diesel truck of the same capacity. In addition to energy efficiency, an electric forklift gives off less heat and has less mechanical complexity, Less noise and vibration inside the cabin provide a thereby reducing the need for maintenance while more relaxed work environment and a less fatigued improving reliability. driver at the end of a shift. 5 © 2020 Konecranes Plc. All rights reserved. Lift truck battery technology: Li-ion vs. lead acid When we compare battery technologies, we need to take efficiency, safety, charging time, energy density storage, weight, maintenance, life cycle, temperature sensitivity and cost into account. At first glance, lithium-ion batteries might seem more expensive. However, if we check all the benefits, the Li-ion turns out to be more cost- effective. 6 © 2020 Konecranes Plc. All rights reserved. Choosing the best solution Operational requirements Operational requirements • Lifetime: approx. 3,000 cycles • Lifetime: 1,200-1,400 cycles • Efficiency: > 96% • Efficiency: 70% • Charging time: 45 mins for full recharge • Charging time: 8 hours • Estimated operating time: 2-3 hours equipped • Estimated operating time: 8 hours or less - with one battery, 4-6 hours if with two. recharging cannot have the same power used for For a full 8-hour shift, opportunity charging plus Li-ion batteries and it has more charging losses an extended one over lunch break are needed. • Maintenance needs: regular maintenance • Maintenance needs: no specific maintenance required (e.g. top-up water) requirements • Extra battery: required if more than 1 shift is • Extra battery: not necessary - in case of more needed than one shift, can be opportunity charged (e.g. during lunch breaks) Infrastructure requirements Infrastructure requirements • Charging station: required • Charging station: required • Power: A 200 kWh battery needs approx. 30 kW charging power • Power: 75 /150 kW (single/double battery) • Charging site: needs a ventilation system due to • Charging site: conveniently located on lift truck hydrogen emissions or outdoor location (to avoid travel paths as needed risk of explosion) • Battery swap: not required - the battery is • Battery swap: necessary if the lift truck can’t charged on the truck be out of operation for 8-10 hours needed for charging. Battery swap will obviously necessitate double set of batteries. 7 © 2020 Konecranes Plc. All rights reserved. Charging a lead acid battery Because Li-ion batteries can be recharged repeatedly Lead acid batteries have only 70% charging efficiency over a short space of time, lift trucks can be powered because it needs more energy for recharging than it with a Li-ion battery with a lower installed capacity delivers. Other problems with recharging include: than that required for lead acid batteries. • Fast or partial charges ruin the battery; The battery management system (BMS) controls the • Charging times are long; charger