Unlike conventional batteries, a Li-ion battery is not used continuously until fully discharged but is charged whenever possible during the day (opportunity charging).

To select the right battery and charger, the following points should be considered:

Battery capacity should be sized based on the consumption between two consecutive recharges, considering the duration of the charging break

Shorter charging breaks may require a higher battery capacity (given the same charger)

Minimum State of Charge (SoC) on the truck display is lower than the limit used for lead-acid batteries

Lead-acid batteries: SoC down to 20%

Hyster Li-ion batteries: SoC down to 2% (Warehouse trucks) or 4% (Counterbalance trucks), as shown on the truck display

Hyster Li-ion batteries are protected against overdischarge as the manufacturer sets the usable energy as 80-90% of the total energy (note: this is not shown on the truck display)

Charger should be sized based on the battery capacity and the duration of the charging breaks

Shorter charging breaks may require a faster charger (given the same battery capacity)

Available electrical supply capability at the site must be considered when fast chargers are selected

A calculator tool is essential to plot the opportunity charging profile, based on application and shift and break patterns