Warehouse and distribution operations have a diverse range of power options for their lift truck fleets. Today, facilities are increasingly evaluating electric power options versus those that use fossil fuels or generate emissions.

With profit margins already tight, modern warehouses and distribution facilities demand that every piece of equipment contributes effectively to the bottom line and is a sustainable solution. The choice of power source must be evaluated not only for its upfront cost but also for its overall impact on productivity, profitability and the environment.

Understanding Electric Power Supply Choices

Today’s warehouse managers have, in general, two electric power choices for battery-powered lift trucks:

• Lead-acid batteries
• Lithium-ion batteries

Lead-acid Batteries

Lead-acid batteries have traditionally been a staple in warehouse operations. They are a proven, cost-effective source of power that is typically readily available. However, they require significant accommodations for charging, swapping, cleaning, watering and replacement. This demands additional investment in warehouse space and employee time and resources.

Additionally, as the charge level of lead-acid batteries drops, their performance deteriorates, resulting in decreased productivity. While efforts to improve lead-acid battery efficiency through fast-charging methods exist, these can dramatically shorten battery life, often reducing the service life of a standard five-year warranty to as few as two years in high-use scenarios.

Lithium-ion Batteries

Lithium-ion batteries can mitigate some of the challenges associated with lead-acid batteries. With a range of lithium-ion battery chemistries designed for different applications, these batteries eliminate the need for mid-shift battery changes and are virtually maintenance-free. They need no watering, annual washes or equalization. While lead-acid batteries typically last around 1,500 cycles, most lithium-ion batteries offer at least 3,000 cycles, with some models achieving 3,500 to 5,000 cycles.

Lithium-ion batteries also maintain consistent performance regardless of their charge level, preventing productivity slowdowns as power decreases. They charge faster than lead-acid batteries and have lower internal resistance, resulting in a more energy-efficient system. The main hurdle for lithium-ion battery adoption is the higher initial investment, which requires a shift in mindset from focusing on short-term acquisition costs to a longer-term return on investment (ROI) approach.

Evaluating Lithium-ion as a Solution

In a collaborative project with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, The Raymond Corporation developed and tested a lithium iron phosphate lithium-ion battery system at a customer location. Based on the data collected, detailed ROI models confirmed the financial benefits of lithium-ion battery adoption.

The customer location was a food storage facility with both ambient and cold temperatures, serving as an ideal baseline for a traditional warehouse. The facility typically relied on lead-acid batteries, requiring regular battery swaps that consumed employee time and resources. Lead-acid batteries were swapped whenever they reached a low charge, resulting in increased downtime and inefficiency.

Key findings from the project included:

• Operational efficiency: Over five weeks, lead-acid batteries were swapped 32 times, while lithium-ion batteries completed 42 full discharge cycles without being removed from the lift truck.
• Heat generation: Lithium-ion batteries generated only 0.7 kWh of heat per discharge cycle, compared with 1.4 kWh for lead-acid batteries. This difference is significant, especially in cold storage environments where excess heat can be problematic.
• Productivity metrics: Both lift trucks moved approximately 4,000 pallets over the study period. The lead-acid battery truck required 216 operational hours, while the lithium-ion battery truck only required 192 hours, demonstrating a notable efficiency gain. The lead-acid battery truck averaged 18 pallet moves per hour compared with 21 for the lithium-ion battery truck, marking a 17% improvement in productivity.

Raymond Advantage

Among all the technical details of material handling equipment and power sources, one factor critical to the success of any facility transformation or process improvement effort is frequently overlooked: the choice of an intralogistics partner.

From award-winning material handling equipment to batteries and chargers to some of the industry’s most powerful telematics, Raymond delivers end-to-end solutions that address the unique needs of a customer’s facility and labor force:

• Raymond offers premium lithium-ion battery products in both primary categories of chemistry — lithium iron phosphate and nickel manganese cobalt. Raymond can more closely match battery performance with the customer application by completing a power study to understand the energy needs of individual customer operations.
• Raymond lithium-ion batteries are specifically designed to match and enhance the performance characteristics of Raymond® lift trucks. Used in combination with Raymond’s telematics applications, Raymond lithium-ion batteries also enable extensive data gathering, giving facility managers powerful insights into battery and equipment performance.
• Raymond products are sold and serviced by a nationwide network of authorized Solutions and Support Centers employing factory-trained consultants and technicians, meaning customers can be assured of fast, professional support.

As a global leader in intralogistics equipment and services, Raymond can recommend, design and implement a wide range of solutions to help achieve your specific goals. To learn more about the entire Raymond portfolio or to find your nearest Raymond Solutions and Support Center, visit raymondcorp.com.