High-Capacity Electric Shipping Container Forklifts in Seaports
The current regulatory changes for seaport operations demonstrate a significant focus on carbon reduction. Many governments and port authorities in municipalities across the U.S. have mandated this. Most port terminals continue to use diesel-burning forklifts, which substantially impact the environment, staff health, and the people who live in these areas. There are many incentives to switch to electric material handling equipment, including financial, environmental, and efficiency
Can electric forklifts handle shipping containers?
The solution available for ports today is the Carer industrial electric forklift. These machines are prevalent in major ports like Houston and Corpus Christi, as lift capacities are available up to 66,000 lbs. at a 48-inch load center. High-capacity EV forklifts are becoming commonplace in demanding applications. The technology can now keep up and outpace diesel-powered equipment. Electric-powered container lifter trucks are becoming incentivized by the state government of Texas.
Why use an electric forklift at a port terminal
Cities are also still grappling with excessive machinery noise and air pollution. Port facilities like Houston and Galveston are within densely populated residential and business districts, with communities leaning hard on port authorities to lower noise and air pollution. To comply with these growing calls for a net reduction of emissions and noises associated with IC vehicles, Carer has a solution that can keep up with the demands of the port and shipping industry. Carer has developed efficient power systems specific lithium battery and charger combinations that can be adapted to meet the power demand of high-capacity forklifts. The induction battery charge systems can also enable hands-free battery recharge (meaning the operator does not need to connect the battery to a charger).
What you need to know about the cost benefits of high-capacity electric forklifts
Usually, only the fuel cost is considered when calculating the financial performance of an internal combustion engine (ICE) forklift vs. an electric vehicle. An accurate ROI would include the following:
Total current monthly operating cost analysis (for diesel forklifts) includes:
- Capital costs
- Maintenance costs
- Intangible costs (emergency rentals, freight, downtime, administration, etc.)
- Energy/Diesel consumption cost (today and forecasted future costs)
- Costs associated with unproductive labor (fuel tank refilling)
- Tire replacement
Total forecast monthly operating costs (for electric forklifts) include:
- Reduced utilization through the elimination of standby idle time.
- Capital costs (extended depreciation term and internal cost of funds), forecasted reduction of ~40%.
- Reduced intangible costs, forecasted reduction of ~88%.
- Reduced tire replacement costs.
With these financial benefits in mind, it is a no-brainer to shift a seaport to the future and adopt EV equipment, benefiting the environment, the community, and the bottom line of the port authority.
Popular models used at seaports include:
A70-300X series: Designed specifically for 100% outdoor, all-weather applications and capable of climbing all grades in roll-on, roll-off ship loading situations. Capacity ranges from 15,00 pounds to 66,000 pounds at a 48-inch load center, with excellent high lift height capacity retention, a 96-144-volt operating system for high-efficiency energy consumption and long working time, high-performance dual drive motors, elevated seating position, large-diameter super elastic tires, and all-weather cabin options. This battery forklift is the pedigree for electric material handling equipment
KR55H2-Short The 12,000lb KR55-SHORT is a rugged small electric forklift that can work three shifts around the clock—designed for loading cargo containers and railcars, with a compact turning radius chassis. It can maneuver in confined spaces while maintaining a high lifting capacity.
R45-80H2 series With an 80-volt chassis arrangement and all-weather cabin options, the capacity ranges from 9,900 pounds to 17,500 pounds. The Carer R series are container mast forklifts making them ideal for freight and container loading.
Contact our team today to find your Carer Forklift solution!
The Carer Advantage: check out more details on the Carer brand.
