Crown Equipment Corporation has announced that the V-Force Lithium-Ion Energy Storage System (ESS) is now available for the majority of its line of electric forklifts. The announcement signifies the increasing viability of lithium-ion technology as a practical alternative power source for forklifts, especially for multi-shift operations utilising opportunity charging.

The V-Force Lithium-Ion ESS is fully integrated with the truck for flexibility, scalability and convenience. The integration allows the truck’s display to show battery discharge levels and alerts the operator through an early warning system before truck operation is stopped.

In addition to the lithium-ion technology, the system also includes a modular V-Force charger, as well as a battery management system that extends battery life by preventing operation outside of warranted conditions.

"Crown is committed to working with customers interested in implementing alternative power sources for their forklifts to eliminate some of the pain points associated with the lead-acid battery power source," says Todd Fleck, director of parts and motive power, Crown Equipment. "The Crown V-Force Lithium-Ion Energy Storage System is specifically designed to seamlessly integrate with our forklifts. Through both modelling and application testing, our research team determined specific design modifications needed to help ensure the lithium-ion-powered forklift matches the performance, efficiency and safety standards to which the truck was initially designed."

Lithium-ion batteries offer a number of advantages compared to lead-acid batteries. They are maintenance-free, sealed units, which eliminates the need for battery watering. They can be opportunity-charged during operator breaks without adversely affecting battery life, which contributes to longer run times and removes the need for battery changing. They do not emit gas during charging and do not require special battery rooms. Lithium-ion batteries also offer greater energy efficiency over lead-acid batteries.

Earlier this year, Crown introduced the V-HFM3 Series of modular battery chargers that can be configured to charge lead-acid and V-Force lithium-ion batteries. The V-HFM3 Series is part of Crown Equipment’s full line of V-Force forklift chargers, batteries and accessories.