Last updated: November 2026
If you run a warehouse, yard or production site in Ireland or Northern Ireland on diesel or lead-acid trucks, lithium-ion is the obvious next step. It costs less to run, needs no battery care, and keeps a truck working across a full shift with short top-ups on breaks.
Clearlift is Ireland’s exclusive EP Equipment dealer, and most of the EP trucks we supply run on lithium-ion. Here’s what changes when you switch, and what to check first.
What is a lithium-ion forklift?
A lithium-ion forklift is an electric forklift powered by a lithium-ion battery instead of a diesel engine or a lead-acid battery. It produces no exhaust, needs no topping up with water, and can be charged whenever it’s parked for a while.
1. It lasts the shift, with top-ups on breaks
EP lithium batteries are made for topping up on tea breaks, lunch or shift changes, so drivers top up instead of swapping batteries. EP’s replacement battery adds about 7% in 10 minutes. How long a full charge takes depends on the battery and charger, and we’ll give you the figure for your model.
A lead-acid battery usually needs around 8 hours on charge, plus time to cool down. Read more in Can electric forklifts last a full shift?
2. Lower running costs
For a 3-tonne truck at SEAI prices, an EP EFL303 costs about 53% less in energy than a Linde H30 D on a business day rate, and about 80% less charged overnight. Try your own figures in our savings calculator. There’s no fuel, engine oil or filters to buy either. Put in your own hours and fuel spend to see the difference for your site, or read diesel vs electric.
3. No battery maintenance
Lead-acid batteries need regular watering and careful handling. Lithium-ion batteries are sealed: no watering, no acid and no weekly routine. EP says they need no water filling, ventilation or acid handling, so you usually don’t need the ventilated charging area that lead-acid needs. The charger still needs a suitable spot and power supply.
4. A long battery life
EP guarantees its lithium-ion replacement batteries for 2,000 full charge and discharge cycles with over 80% of their capacity left, against about 1,000 cycles for lead-acid. Short top-ups only count as part of a cycle. We’ll give you the warranty for the exact EP model you’re looking at.
5. Safe by design
Every EP lithium battery has its own battery management system, which watches cell temperature and protects against voltage and temperature extremes. EP assembles and tests each battery in its own facilities before it ships. The battery is sealed, so there’s no acid to spill.
6. Cleaner, quieter sites
With no exhaust, lithium-ion trucks suit indoor work and sites where air quality matters, such as food and drink and pharma. They’re also much quieter than diesel trucks, which your team and your neighbours will notice.
7. Fewer parts to go wrong
An electric truck has no engine, gearbox, exhaust or oil changes, so there’s less to service and less to break. Our own engineers service and repair the EP trucks we’ve sold or hired, from Navan, Dublin, Waterford, Cork, Mayo, Portadown and Lurgan. See service and parts.
Lithium-ion and diesel at a glance
- At the truck: no exhaust, against diesel fumes
- Noise: quiet, against a running engine
- Refuelling: plug in on breaks, against fuel storage and filling up
- Servicing: no engine to maintain, against regular engine servicing
- Indoors: no ventilation concerns, against fumes in enclosed spaces
What it looks like on Irish sites
At Goodwins, an EP X5 3.8-tonne electric forklift charges to 70% in an hour from the solar panels at their depots. Read the Goodwins story and more on our case studies page.
Which EP trucks are lithium-ion?
Most EP forklifts we supply run on lithium-ion, and a few compact models can also take a lead-acid battery. The range covers electric forklifts, 3-wheel forklifts, 4-wheel forklifts, pallet trucks, stackers and automated pallet trucks. See what’s in stock now, or hire one on a 12-month contract.
Talk to us
Tell us what you move and how long your shifts run, and we’ll recommend the right EP truck the same working day. Call 01 5267 411 (ROI) or 028 3833 7038 (NI), or send us a message.
