• Electric forklifts are commonly used in warehouses.forklift and pallets image by timur1970 from Fotolia.com
  
  Forklifts are used for carrying loads in warehouses, at construction sites and in other places. They come with many different types of fuel. One of the most common types of forklift is the electric forklift. They operate off lead-acid batteries very similar to car batteries, except much larger and more powerful. Within this broad type of forklift, many other sub-types exist as well, distinguished by several common specifications.
  
  

Load Capacity

• Load capacity describes the amount of weight that a particular electric forklift can be expected to support.
  
  

Stroke

• The vertical lift travel, also called the stroke, of the forklift speaks to the amount of difference between the forklift's fully-raised and fully-loaded positions.
  
  

Classes

• Classes of forklift help to organize forklifts by type, giving people a quick and easy way to make themselves aware of that particular model's features. Forklift's come in eight classes, the first three of which---Class I, II, and III---cover electric forklifts. Class I forklifts are electric motor trucks that are intended to be ridden by the operator while in operation. Class II forklifts are electrically-powered forklifts designed to operate in narrow aisles. They are mostly used for stocking and pulling merchandise from a warehouse. Class III forklifts are electric motor-powered hand trucks that the user walks behind.
  
  

Battery Specifications

• The batteries that forklifts come with have several important specifications to give people a sense of what sort of performance to expect from them. Most forklifts come with a plate that will identify the amount of volts available from the battery. Often, the forklift will come with the weight of the battery specified as well, mostly to give a sense of the amount of weight the forklift will have to carry. Often, the weight of the forklift truck without the battery will also be included as a specification.
  
  

Input

• Another important specification is the amount of energy input that the forklift's battery is designed to accept while charging the battery. Nissan electronic forklifts can take in either 230 or 460 volts at a time.