Traditionally, gas powered vehicles have been used in heavy lifting, in-door, multi-shift, applications. However when Davies Turner came to review its fleet in early 2018, it took the opportunity to explore the possibility of replacing its gas forklifts with battery-powered vehicles from Doosan. Importantly, the move would also help support the business in its application for environmental standard ISO 14001.
Davies Turner was confident that the Doosan electric trucks would be quieter and cleaner but the concern was whether electric trucks could perform as efficiently in a fast-moving environment. Important, too, was how the costs would compare with gas.
Doosan’s electric B35X-7 3.5 tonne counterbalance trucks were duly supplied, along with a spare high-capacity battery for each truck, backed up by Fronius chargers with an auto-fill facility for efficient battery management. Easy access side panels on the trucks allowed for a fast changeover of batteries using a powered pallet truck, ensuring a continuous and reliable operation. A 1.6 and a 1.8 tonne version were also supplied. Cost differences were quickly noticed: the outlay of £15.00 per day per truck for gas was replaced with the cost for charging a truck at just £5 per day, enabling ROI within 16 months.
Reduced downtime has been another bonus, since the electric equipment contains far fewer parts. A final benefit was the Doosan Fleet Management System, which enables users to access up-to-the-minute information on their fleet, log breakdowns and reference maintenance records.
