Interesting. But why were they using lead-acid batteries?? I get that forklifts were electrified early and had these, but trucks?
I’ve been at multiple businesses that still used electric forklifts from what I’m pretty sure must be the late 80s. I was told that the newer ones they had were pretty similiar models and they all used lead-acid. I guess it’s just more reliable and repairable because of simplicity. Also I’m 100% sure that there are no trucks that run on lead-acid batteries, maybe as a hybrid.
Okay so this isn’t about a fleet of trucks or something like that at all. It’s just about fork-lifts and order-picking vehicles inside their picking and packing warehouses. I have worked with these machines before, they mostly are old and do use lead-acid batteries. I bet with modern batteries they wouldn’t have any of the problems they were talking about. Li-Ion batteries do charge quickly and have high capacities. We’ll see how the hydrogen alternatives will stand the test of time.
Li-Ion batteries do charge quickly and have high capacities.
I’m not sure they would survive nearly as long as lead-acid, but I’m sure that they would be way less complicated and dangerous than hydrogen.
Not really. Hydrogen is actually a lot safer than people imagine. It’s about as safe as compressed natural gas (because it’s basically the same thing physically) which is very widely used in industrial vehicles and machinery with few problems.
