If you want to go electric, contact your local Linde dealer.
How many lifts are you looking at leasing? If 1 is the answer, I'd lean more towards propane. I have many customers with 1 lift truck, and ones that have electric never are able to charge the battery as they should. The downside of not chargine the battery correctly is shorter battery life.
The battery should be brought down to 20% charge (or 80% discharge) & then be allowed to charge. Most single forklift operations find this extremely difficult to do. No one wants a dead forklift when they need it, so overcharging is the name of the game. The result- a battery which should last 8-10 years ( in your enviroment) lasts about 5 years max. Batteries are expensive ( around 5 grand) so no one likes to hear that it didn't last as long as it should have.
Yes it can.
However, this liquification process requires NG to be cooled to 160C. it then takes its liquid form (LNG).
But be aware that LNG will warm up to ambient temperature, how quickly will depend on the insulation vlaue of the cylinder. LNG needs to be cooled vented or used to stay safe in that state.
One benifit to LNG is the pressure it is stored at, usually only 1-3 psi over atmospheric. unlike CNG which is upwards of 4000psi
And dont worry about the haters of CNG for use in forklifts complaining about power, they havent properly adjusted their fueling system.
If I have a poorly adjusted carburator or fuel injection system in my Hot Rod.....would I complain that gasoline was a bad way to go? Fuel is fuel. Nautral Gas just happens to cost WAY less.
can CNG be liquified and placed in cylinders for cooking purposes?
FYI: The one with the white dot is made by Battery Fill System (BFS), it operates like a toilet float. As the float rises & a white dot appears in a little round window you know that cell s filled to the proper level. Check in out on the internet - do a Google search.
Electric is the best way forward for such low useage.
Correct choice of charger OR decent operator training is the key.
I would always point towards the correct type of smart charger then just trusting the operators to charge / equalize charge the batteries correctly.
As for battery filling:
Flip tops & a watering gun are my prefered option, takes slightly longer BUT you know the cells are all filled correctly, ive yet to come across a decent single point watering system.
Not seen the one mentioned above with a white dot yet so I cant comment on that.
Avoid the GNB / Chloride / Exide ( or whatever there actually called this week ) Aquajet system, its total rubbish!
In the long run electrics will save your company money. Initial cost is a bit higher for electrics but in fuel, maintenance cost & longer economic life. The key to successful ownership is to make certain personnel are trained on proper charging & maintenance procedure and make certain they know when to use the charger EQUALIZE charge cycle. Have your selected lift truck rep bring in his battery "expert" to explain the ins & outs. Spend a few bucks for a single point battery watering system - preference is the one that has a visual indicator that lets you know each cell has been filled (a little white dot). Suggest you make one person responsible for all of this - otherwise it is "finger pointing time".
There are some tax benefits for converting to all electric in California - have your accounting guy check it out.
With low hour usage like you have you maybe able to qualify for a 72 or 84 month lease depending on the operating environment.
My personal advise is to stay away from CNG - reasons:
1. Lower engine power (about 20% less power than LPG) - some say a lift truck with CNG doesn't have enough power to pull a sick dog out of bed.
2. Requires an on site investment in a fill system (no tank exchange possible) plus the system is more expensive than LPG
3. Only one lift truck company offers a CARB approved CNG system - others discontinued the offer years ago.