Ang mga fuel forklift, na pinagagana ng gasolina, diesel, o liquefied petroleum gas, ay nag-aalok ng mataas na kapangyarihan (instantaneous power output) at angkop para sa mabigat na-duty outdoor lifting. Gayunpaman, kilala ang mga ito na naglalabas ng mataas na antas ng ingay (75-85dB) at mga emisyon ng tambutso (CO₂ at NOx), na nagreresulta sa pang-araw-araw na halaga ng gasolina na humigit-kumulang 150-300 yuan. Ang mga electric forklift, sa kabilang banda, ay pinapagana ng baterya (na may cycle ng singil na 8-10 oras), ay walang polusyon, at nag-aalok ng mababang antas ng ingay (<60dB). They are suitable for indoor applications such as warehouses, offering a handling accuracy of ±5mm. However, the batteries last approximately 3-5 years and require replacement, costing approximately 20,000-50,000 yuan. In terms of cost-effectiveness, fuel forklifts have a lower purchase price (100,000-200,000 yuan) but higher maintenance costs (approximately 15,000 yuan per year). Electric forklifts, on the other hand, have a higher initial investment (150,000-300,000 yuan) but offer energy savings of over 50%.
