IC to Electric: 90% Fuel Savings, Lower Maintenance, and Smarter Forklift Decisions

Big Joe, a 75‑year‑old material‑handling manufacturer founded in Wisconsin, is pivoting from traditional internal‑combustion (IC) lift trucks to a fully electric portfolio built around lithium‑ion technology. The company’s new Class 1 sit‑down counterbalance trucks replace bulky lead‑acid packs with a single, chassis‑integrated lithium battery, delivering up to 90 % fuel savings and dramatically lower operating costs. This transition aligns with a broader industry trend where expanding warehouse footprints and stricter sustainability goals are pushing operators toward zero‑emission equipment. By eliminating diesel or propane engines, Big Joe positions itself as a leader in the electrification wave reshaping modern distribution centers.

Integrating the lithium pack directly into the truck chassis gives Big Joe’s forklifts a compact form factor that feels like a conventional IC unit, preserving operator comfort while removing the heavy battery box. The energy‑dense cells require no water topping, eliminate routine battery swaps, and can be charged quickly, cutting downtime to minutes. Compared with lead‑acid systems, lithium delivers higher cycle life and consistent power output, translating into lower total‑ownership cost and up to 90 % reduction in fuel expenses. These technical benefits also support corporate ESG targets, as electric trucks produce no onsite emissions and help facilities meet increasingly strict indoor air‑quality regulations.

Despite clear advantages, many warehouses stall because sales teams remain accustomed to selling propane or diesel units and lack the expertise to size chargers, assess grid capacity, or conduct power‑study analyses. This “battery anxiety”—fear of insufficient charge or costly infrastructure—creates a distribution‑channel bottleneck that can delay adoption. Big Joe mitigates the risk by offering end‑to‑end data analytics, helping customers model usage patterns, predict optimal battery size, and schedule charging during off‑peak hours. By educating dealers and providing turnkey charging solutions, the company turns technical complexity into a strategic advantage, accelerating the shift from IC to electric and delivering measurable ROI for operators.