Lithium Forklift Battery Packs for Material-Handling OEMs

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Lithium Battery Company designs and builds LiFePO4 lithium-ion forklift battery packs for material-handling OEMs, and for dealers and fleet programs that buy at program quantities. A forklift battery is part of the truck: it sets the voltage, carries the peak lift current, and often provides part of the counterweight. We engineer the pack, BMS and charger around the truck, then build to an approved specification. We've been designing and building lithium packs since 2014, with hundreds of thousands produced for OEM programs.

Catalog packs start at 10 units and custom designs at 25 units. Volume programs only.

Request a forklift battery quote · Configure your pack requirements

Forklift and material-handling reference designs

These catalog designs are starting points for an engineering review:

Browse more by voltage: 24V, 36V, 48V and 72V. Electric forklifts commonly run in the 24V, 36V, 48V or 80V class. If your truck isn't covered by a reference design, we design to its voltage class and battery compartment.

What a lithium forklift battery has to get right

  • Voltage window and controller. LiFePO4 packs are built from 3.2V cells, so a 48V-class pack is usually 16 cells in series (51.2V nominal). We match the full-charge and cut-off voltages to the truck controller so it doesn't read a healthy pack as discharged.
  • Peak lift and drive current. Lifting a full load and accelerating up a ramp create peaks well above average draw. Cells, busbars, fusing, contactors and the BMS are rated for them, so the pack doesn't trip mid-lift.
  • Regenerative current. Trucks that regenerate during braking or lowering push current back into the pack. The BMS charge limits apply, especially when the pack is nearly full.
  • Weight and counterweight. Many counterbalanced trucks rely on battery weight for stability, and the truck's data plate states a minimum battery weight. A lithium pack is lighter than lead-acid, so we design the tray and ballast to meet that minimum. This is a safety requirement, not an option.
  • Compartment fit and connector. The pack has to fit the existing compartment and use the truck's battery connector, or one you specify.
  • Charging. Lead-acid chargers with equalization or float stages don't suit LiFePO4. The charger profile must match the pack and BMS, and opportunity charging during breaks works only if charger power, schedule and BMS current limits line up. See our lithium battery charger catalog.
  • Cold storage. LiFePO4 must not be charged below freezing without heating or reduced current. For freezer and cold-dock trucks we plan heating, insulation and BMS charge limits together.
  • Truck communication. The BMS can report state of charge, current limits and faults to the truck's display and controller over CAN or another protocol, so the truck can slow down or stop safely instead of shutting off.

Why fleets move from lead-acid to LiFePO4

Lead-acid forklift batteries need watering, equalizing, cool-down time and, in multi-shift operations, battery swaps. LiFePO4 packs need no watering, can be opportunity-charged during breaks, and keep their voltage steady through the shift, so the truck doesn't get sluggish as the battery drains. The trade-offs are higher upfront cost and the integration work above: ballast, charger and controller settings. Compare the chemistries in LiFePO4 vs lead-acid for industrial equipment, and see lead-acid to LFP replacement for conversion programs.

Safety standards and testing

If your truck or market requires a specific safety listing or test standard for the battery, include it in your RFQ. Testing and documentation scope are confirmed in your quote; a generic test report from another application doesn't prove that a pack suits your truck.

From prototype to fleet volume

We support a prototype or pilot lot for fit, function, charging and ballast validation, then volume production under a frozen design with change control. Lead times run from weeks to months depending on cells, design scope and validation, and your quote confirms them. See OEM battery pilot production.

What to send for a forklift battery quote

Truck make and model or your own truck design, voltage class, battery compartment dimensions, minimum battery weight from the data plate, connector, shifts per day and charging windows, existing charger, operating temperature (including cold storage), communications, first-order quantity and annual volume. Start a forklift battery quote.

Related: industrial lithium battery packs and AGV, AMR and robot battery packs.

Frequently asked questions

What voltage are lithium forklift batteries?

Electric forklifts commonly run in the 24V, 36V, 48V or 80V class. LiFePO4 packs are built from 3.2V cells, so a 48V-class pack is usually 16 cells in series (51.2V nominal).

Is a lithium forklift battery lighter than lead-acid, and does that matter?

Yes, it's lighter. Many counterbalanced trucks rely on battery weight for stability, so we design the tray and ballast to meet the minimum battery weight on the truck's data plate.

Can we keep our existing forklift charger?

Usually not. Lead-acid chargers with equalization or float stages don't suit LiFePO4. The charger profile has to match the pack and BMS.

Can lithium forklift batteries work in cold storage?

Yes, with the right design. LiFePO4 must not be charged below freezing without heating or reduced current, so we plan heating, insulation and BMS charge limits for cold-storage trucks.

Who can order lithium forklift battery programs?

We supply material-handling OEMs, dealers and fleet programs. Catalog packs start at 10 units and custom designs at 25 units.

Request a custom battery quote Configure your pack requirements