To clearly distinguish the applicable scenarios of electric forklifts and LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) forklifts, it is necessary to consider the matching degree between their core characteristics (such as emissions, noise, endurance, energy replenishment efficiency, etc.) and the requirements of different operating environments. The following provides a detailed analysis from two major dimensions: the applicable scenarios of electric forklifts and the applicable scenarios of LPG forklifts, and supplements the special case of "scenario overlap and complementarity" to help accurately determine the selection direction.
I. Applicable Scenarios of Electric Forklifts: Focus on "Low Emissions, Low Noise, Indoor/Enclosed Environments"
Electric forklifts have core advantages of zero exhaust emissions, low noise, and stable operation. Additionally, their power source (battery) has no risk of fuel leakage. Therefore, they are more suitable for scenarios with clear requirements for "environmental protection, cleanliness, and noise control," or for enclosed/semi-enclosed operating spaces. Specifically, they can be divided into the following categories:
1. Indoor Enclosed/Semi-Enclosed Operating Scenarios
These scenarios have limited ventilation. Using forklifts with emissions will lead to the accumulation of harmful gases (such as CO and NOₓ), endangering personnel health. The "zero-emission" feature of electric forklifts becomes a key advantage:
- Warehousing and logistics warehouses: Including e-commerce warehouses, third-party logistics centers, and raw material/finished product warehouses in the manufacturing industry. Most of these scenarios adopt an indoor multi-layer shelf layout with compact operating spaces, and there is frequent cross-operation between personnel and forklifts. The low noise of electric forklifts (50-70 decibels, similar to the sound of normal conversation) can avoid noise pollution, and zero emissions eliminate concerns about air quality inside the warehouse. Meanwhile, electric forklifts have a small turning radius, making them suitable for shelf access operations in narrow aisles.
- Underground/semi-underground locations: Such as underground garage loading and unloading areas, underground shopping mall freight passages, and auxiliary transportation in mines (for some small electric forklifts). These scenarios rely entirely on mechanical ventilation, and the exhaust gas of LPG forklifts cannot diffuse quickly, which may cause safety hazards. Thus, electric forklifts are the only compliant option.
2. Industry Scenarios with Strict Requirements for "Cleanliness/Environmental Protection"
Due to product characteristics (e.g., food, pharmaceuticals) or policy requirements (e.g., environmental regulations), some industries have extremely high standards for the cleanliness of the operating environment and pollutant control. The "zero-emission and no oil pollution" characteristics of electric forklifts can meet these needs:
- Food/beverage industry: Including food processing plants, beverage filling workshops, and cold chain warehouses (electric forklifts with low-temperature resistant batteries should be selected). In these scenarios, it is necessary to avoid food contamination by exhaust odors. Moreover, electric forklifts have no risk of engine oil leakage, which can prevent oil pollution to production equipment or product packaging, complying with the GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) requirements of the food industry.
- Pharmaceutical/medical device industry: Such as clean workshops in pharmaceutical factories and medical device warehouses. Pharmaceutical production has strict requirements for environmental cleanliness (e.g., dust-free, no harmful gases). The zero-emission feature of electric forklifts can prevent harmful components in exhaust gas from affecting drug quality, and low noise can also reduce interference with precision production equipment.
- Electronics/semiconductor industry: Including chip manufacturing plants and electronic component warehouses. Electronic components are sensitive to dust, oil pollution, and electromagnetic interference. Electric forklifts (especially lithium battery forklifts with better electromagnetic compatibility) have no fuel volatilization or oil leakage, which can maintain a clean operating environment. At the same time, low noise can reduce vibration interference to precision instruments.
3. Scenarios Sensitive to "Noise"
Some scenarios require strict noise control due to dense personnel or special operating hours, and the low-noise advantage of electric forklifts is significant:
- Urban distribution centers/supermarket logistics areas: These locations are mostly in residential areas or commercial core areas, and operating hours may cover daytime (e.g., supermarket restocking). The noise of electric forklifts is below 70 decibels, which will not disturb surrounding residents or supermarket customers. If LPG forklifts (70-90 decibels, similar to the noise of vacuum cleaners or small generators) are used, it may cause noise complaints.
- Auxiliary transportation in scientific research institutions/laboratories: For material transportation (such as instruments and reagents) in scientific research laboratories and university laboratory buildings, it is necessary to avoid noise affecting experimental accuracy or personnel concentration. The stable and low-noise characteristics of electric forklifts are more suitable.
II. Applicable Scenarios of LPG Forklifts: Focus on "Long Endurance, Fast Energy Replenishment, Outdoor/Well-Ventilated Environments"
LPG forklifts have core advantages of long endurance (8-12 hours per tank of gas), fast energy replenishment (only 3-5 minutes for refueling), and strong power. However, they have the problems of exhaust emissions and relatively high noise. Therefore, they are more suitable for scenarios that are "well-ventilated, have high requirements for endurance/energy replenishment efficiency, and involve high-intensity operations":
1. Outdoor Open-Air Operating Scenarios
These scenarios have no enclosed space restrictions, allowing exhaust gas to diffuse naturally. Additionally, the operation time is long and the intensity is high, so the endurance and fast energy replenishment advantages of LPG forklifts can be fully utilized:
- Port/terminal loading and unloading areas: Ports need to handle container and bulk cargo loading and unloading continuously for 24 hours, with high operation intensity and a single endurance requirement of more than 8 hours. One tank of gas in an LPG forklift can meet the needs of a full-day single-shift operation, and refueling only takes a few minutes. Unlike electric forklifts that require downtime for charging (even fast charging takes 1-2 hours), LPG forklifts can avoid disruptions to loading and unloading efficiency due to endurance issues.
- Outdoor yards of logistics parks/freight stations: For outdoor cargo transshipment and long-haul truck loading and unloading in logistics parks, the operation range is wide and there are no fixed charging points. LPG forklifts do not rely on charging piles, and gas refueling stations can be flexibly arranged. Meanwhile, their strong power (high engine torque) makes them suitable for transporting heavy goods (such as pallets over 10 tons).
- Construction sites/municipal engineering sites: For the transportation of construction materials (such as steel bars, cement, and prefabricated components) at construction sites and pipes/equipment for municipal engineering, the operating environment is an open construction site with good ventilation and no special environmental protection requirements. LPG forklifts can adapt to the bumpy roads at construction sites (some off-road LPG forklifts), their endurance can meet the needs of all-day construction, and there is no waiting time for energy replenishment.
2. Indoor Scenarios with Good Ventilation and High-Intensity Operations
Some large indoor spaces have excellent ventilation conditions (such as high-ceiling workshops and open workshops) and require long-term continuous operations. In such cases, LPG forklifts can replace electric forklifts (to avoid frequent charging of electric forklifts):
- Large manufacturing workshops (e.g., automobile and machinery manufacturing): The workshops of automobile assembly plants and heavy machinery factories are mostly designed with high ceilings and open layouts (ceiling height over 8 meters, equipped with industrial exhaust fans). Good ventilation can dilute LPG exhaust gas. These factories need to operate at full capacity throughout the day, and the material handling (such as auto parts and mechanical castings) is of high intensity. The endurance and fast energy replenishment of LPG forklifts can ensure the production line is not interrupted. If electric forklifts are used, multiple batteries may be required for rotation and charging, increasing equipment investment and management costs.
- Outdoor loading and unloading areas of building material markets/home furnishing stores: For outdoor loading and unloading in building material markets (ceramic tiles, plates) and home furnishing stores (furniture, home appliances), the operating time is concentrated during the day and the weight of a single load is large. The power and endurance of LPG forklifts can meet the needs, and refueling is convenient (mobile gas cylinders can be equipped).
3. Operating Scenarios in Low-Temperature/Harsh Environments
The engine power of LPG forklifts is less affected by temperature, while the battery capacity of electric forklifts will decrease significantly at low temperatures (for example, below -10°C, the capacity of lead-acid batteries may decrease by more than 30%). Therefore, LPG forklifts are more suitable for low-temperature or some harsh environments:
- Outdoor operations in northern winter: In regions such as Northeast and Northwest China, the winter temperature is below -10°C. The battery endurance of electric forklifts will be significantly shortened (e.g., from the original 8 hours to 5 hours), and the charging efficiency will decrease. The engine of LPG forklifts can start normally at low temperatures (equipped with preheating devices), and their endurance is not affected by temperature, making them suitable for outdoor logistics loading and unloading and construction site operations in winter.
- High-dust environments (e.g., ore yards, feed factories): For ore transportation in ore yards and raw material transportation (such as corn and soybean meal) in feed factories, the environment is dusty. If dust enters the battery interfaces and motors of electric forklifts, it may cause short circuits or malfunctions. However, the engine air intake system of LPG forklifts can be equipped with air filters, resulting in stronger adaptability (but the filters need to be cleaned regularly).
III. Scenario Overlap and Complementarity: "Hybrid Selection" for a Single Enterprise
Most enterprises do not use only one type of forklift; instead, they "mix and match" according to the scenario requirements of different areas to achieve complementarity:
- Case 1: Large-scale food enterprise: Electric forklifts (zero-emission, anti-pollution) are used in indoor clean workshops (food processing and packaging), while LPG forklifts (long endurance, fast energy replenishment) are used in outdoor raw material yards (loading and unloading of flour and sugar tanks) and logistics export areas (truck loading).
- Case 2: E-commerce logistics center: Electric forklifts (low noise, suitable for narrow aisles) are used in indoor multi-layer shelf warehouses (order picking and small-item handling), while LPG forklifts (long endurance, no waiting for charging) are used in outdoor truck loading and unloading areas (large-item handling and long-distance transportation).
Summary: Core Judgment Logic for Applicable Scenario Selection
| Key Scenario Requirements | Priority: Electric Forklifts | Priority: LPG Forklifts |
|---|---|---|
| Enclosed/semi-enclosed environment, requiring zero emissions | ✅ | ❌ |
| Noise-sensitive (e.g., residential areas, laboratories) | ✅ | ❌ |
| High cleanliness requirements (food, pharmaceuticals) | ✅ | ❌ |
| Outdoor open-air operations, endurance requirement > 8 hours | ❌ | ✅ |
| High operation intensity, requiring fast energy replenishment (< 5 minutes) | ❌ | ✅ |
| Low-temperature (< -10°C) or high-dust environments | ❌ | ✅ |
In short, "choose electric forklifts for indoor clean environments and LPG forklifts for efficient outdoor operations". Specifically, a comprehensive judgment should be made based on factors such as the ventilation, environmental protection requirements, endurance needs, and cost of the enterprise's own operating environment. If necessary, a hybrid selection can be adopted to maximize operational efficiency.
