Interest in lithium-ion batteries for material handling equipment is growing. Will they be limited to niche applications, or could they eventually replace lead-acid batteries? The first lithium-ion battery-powered lift truck made its debut in Japan in 2008. Pallet jacks and automated guided vehicles (AGVs) powered by lithium-ion batteries have been scooting around European DCs for a few years now. But here in North America, we’re a little late to the party. Interest in lithium-ion batteries and battery management systems may be high, but sales remain slow. Proponents of this energy-dense, highly efficient power source say that’s about to change. For the past couple of years, manufacturers and designers of batteries, chargers, and lift trucks have been testing lithium-ion (li-ion, for short) batteries, and some are now commercially available here. While it’s generally agreed that li-ion batteries are very promising for material handling applications, how much of the market they’ll eventually capture is far from certain. KUDOS … One reason for the growing interest in li-ion batteries is that they have a very high energy density—about triple the capacity of a similar lead-acid battery, says Arlan Purdy, product manager of energy storage systems for lift truck manufacturer The Raymond Corp. They’re also attractive because they do not require any watering and give off no gases, he says. And, unlike some other alternative power sources, he adds, lithium-ion batteries "have a little bit of a convenience factor because they use the same electric grid that people are used to"; in other words, the charging process will already be familiar to operators. Lithium-ion batteries are much smaller and lighter than their lead-acid counterparts—perhaps lithium-ion’s greatest appeal, notes Mark Tomaszewski, manager, emerging technologies, for the battery maker EnerSys. In addition, li-ion batteries can be opportunity-charged during operator breaks without adversely affecting battery life, […]