Against the background of widespread promotion of low-carbon material handling solutions across different industrial scenarios, more enterprises choose to replace their old internal combustion or lead-acid forklift fleets with lithium-ion forklifts to pursue higher operating efficiency and lower long-term operation cost. Many practitioners assume that the deployment of new lithium-ion forklifts only needs to move the vehicles into the working site and put them into use directly, but the actual implementation process often meets multiple unanticipated challenges that affect normal operation rhythm.

The first common challenge comes from the mismatch of on-site supporting charging infrastructure. Most traditional warehouse and factory sites are planned for lead-acid forklift charging scenarios, where the low charging power requirement does not demand high power supply load. The high-power fast charging function of lithium-ion forklifts may bring hidden risks of circuit overload if the original power supply system is not upgraded correspondingly. In addition, many teams do not reserve proper space for dedicated lithium forklift charging areas away from high-traffic operation zones, which may lead to potential safety hazards and reduce the effective working efficiency of operators during charging breaks.

The second challenge is the skill adaptation of on-site operation and maintenance teams. Long-term contact with lead-acid forklifts makes many frontline operators form solid operation habits that do not fit the characteristics of lithium-ion power systems. For example, some staff may misjudge the remaining power status according to the past experience of lead-acid batteries, or conduct inappropriate maintenance operations that are only suitable for lead-acid products, which will accelerate the loss of battery cells and shorten the overall service life of the equipment. Without systematic training, many maintenance staff cannot recognize potential abnormal signs of lithium batteries at the early stage, which may lead to unnecessary operation interruption.

The third challenge relates to the adjustment of existing on-site operation processes. Different from lead-acid forklifts that usually need whole battery replacement during shift handover, lithium-ion forklifts that support opportunity charging require teams to adjust the break arrangement for shifts properly, to avoid sudden power shortage during peak operation hours. For special scenarios like cold storage and outdoor high-temperature operation, the actual performance of lithium-ion batteries will change under extreme temperature conditions, and teams that do not make pre-judgment for such changes may face unexpected reduction of working radius that influences the whole material handling efficiency.

The last common challenge is the update of on-site safety management system. Most of the existing vehicle safety management rules are formulated for traditional forklift types, and lack targeted daily inspection specifications and emergency response procedures for lithium-ion power systems. Teams need to revise the corresponding management rules and update the supporting on-site safety facilities before large-scale deployment, to guarantee long-term stable and safe operation of the new lithium-ion forklift fleet. Most of these challenges can be solved through pre-deployment site investigation, targeted staff training and gradual process adjustment, helping enterprises complete the low-carbon transition of material handling smoothly.