A typical electric forklift battery can work for about 5-6 hours at most on a full charge, and if it works all day, it will need two sets of batteries to replace them.
The range of an electric forklift battery depends mainly on the battery capacity, the load, the working environment and the battery type.
lead-acid forklift battery
Standard working conditions (medium load, smooth operation): 4-8 hours
High-intensity operation (frequent starting and stopping, heavy load handling): 3-5 hours
li-ion forklift battery
Standard working conditions: 6-10 hours
High-intensity operation: 5-8 hours
Supports fast charging, suitable for multi-shift operation.
Key Factors Affecting Forklift Battery Life
Battery capacity (Ah): the higher the capacity, the longer the range (e.g. 600Ah will last longer than 400Ah).
Load situation: carrying 1 ton of cargo saves more power than carrying 3 tons of cargo.
Working environment:
Flat warehouse vs. Slope operation (climbing slopes increases power consumption).
Frequent starts and stops vs. constant speed operation (acceleration uses more power).
Battery Health: Aging batteries lose 20-40% of battery life.
How to extend the use of electric forklift batter?
Optimization of operation
Reduce unnecessary starting and stopping, and maintain even speed operation.
Reasonably assign tasks and avoid overloading or long-time full-load operation.
Utilize skidding to slow down and reduce braking energy consumption.
Choose energy-efficient batteries
Lithium batteries have a higher energy density than lead-acid batteries, increasing range by 30%-50%.
High-capacity lead-acid batteries (e.g., 600Ah or more) are suitable for long-time operational needs.
Intelligent Charge Management
Avoid deep discharge (charging only when the battery is below 20% will shorten the battery life).
Adopt “opportunity charging” (30 minutes-1 hour recharge during lunch break or shift change).
Use a matching smart charger to prevent overcharging or undercharging.
Regular Maintenance
Lead-acid battery: check the electrolyte level, clean up electrode corrosion.
Lithium battery: Keep dry environment, avoid high temperature storage.
Do full charge/discharge (lead-acid battery) once a month to calibrate the battery status.