Quick note on battery life

Regardless of OEM or salesperson's claims the basic facts are as follows:

The energy required to raise a load a certain height is a constant regardless of the forklift drive system - AC, DC - the only difference is the losses in the system. And resistance in wiring losses are lower with AC but this is only a minor effect.

And the total energy used is minimised if regenerative systems are used to recover braking and other energy. But once again the AC versus DC difference is small.

So on a pure AC versus DC comparison with all other things being equal battery life with AC might be increased a few percent - nothing like the increases some might claim.

If you're really after increased battery life regenerative braking systems and similar energy recovery systems are the key features to look for