What It Costs to Charge an Electric Forklift Per Shift (2026 Numbers, Real Math)

How much does it cost to charge an electric forklift per shift?

A typical 48V, 750Ah forklift battery pulls roughly 36 to 43 kWh from the wall to recharge after one shift, which costs about $3.10 to $5.80 at average 2026 U.S. rates. The spread comes from your electricity rate and how efficient your charger is. Pricing starts with your rate per kilowatt-hour. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Monthly Energy Review, the average price in May 2026 was 13.54 cents per kWh for commercial customers and 8.71 cents for industrial customers, taxes included. Most warehouses, distribution centers and small manufacturers pay something in that range, with plenty of local variation. Energy per shift comes from the charging methodology published by the California Air Resources Board for measuring electric forklift electricity use. It assumes one charge cycle per shift, a battery discharged to about 80%, a charger that puts back 15% to 18% more energy than was used, and charger efficiency between roughly 78% and 96% depending on the technology. Estimated charging cost per shift by battery size and charger type

Battery	Stored energy	Charger type	kWh from grid per shift	Cost at 13.54¢ (commercial)	Cost at 8.71¢ (industrial)
24V / 600Ah	14.4 kWh	High frequency	14.2	$1.93	$1.24
		Ferro-resonant	15.8	$2.14	$1.37
		SCR	17.0	$2.30	$1.48
36V / 750Ah	27.0 kWh	High frequency	26.7	$3.62	$2.33
		Ferro-resonant	29.6	$4.00	$2.58
		SCR	31.9	$4.31	$2.78
48V / 750Ah	36.0 kWh	High frequency	35.6	$4.82	$3.10
		Ferro-resonant	39.4	$5.34	$3.43
		SCR	42.5	$5.75	$3.70
80V / 620Ah	49.6 kWh	High frequency	49.1	$6.64	$4.27
		Ferro-resonant	54.3	$7.36	$4.73
		SCR	58.5	$7.92	$5.10

Assumes one full charge per shift, 80% depth of discharge, 15% overcharge for high frequency and ferro-resonant chargers, 18% for SCR, and mid-range charger efficiency (93%, 84% and 80%). Energy charges only; demand charges and fixed fees are not included. Scale it up and the numbers stay modest. A single 48V truck on a ferro-resonant charger running one shift a day, 22 days a month, costs about $117 a month in electricity at the commercial average, or roughly $1,390 a year. Two shifts a day doubles that to around $235 a month.

How do you calculate forklift charging cost per shift?

Multiply the battery’s kWh rating by how deeply you discharge it and by the charger’s overcharge factor, divide by the charger’s efficiency, then multiply by your electricity rate. Five numbers, all of which you can find on your equipment or your power bill.

1. Find the battery’s kWh. Multiply volts by amp-hours and divide by 1,000. A 48V, 750Ah battery stores 36 kWh. Both numbers are printed on the battery tag, and the truck’s own requirements are on its data plate (see our guide on how to read a forklift data plate).
2. Apply depth of discharge. Lead-acid batteries are normally run down to about 80%, so 36 kWh × 0.80 = 28.8 kWh used per shift.
3. Add the overcharge. Chargers return more energy than was used to fully finish a lead-acid charge. The CARB forklift electricity methodology puts that at about 15% for ferro-resonant and high frequency chargers and about 18% for SCR units. 28.8 × 1.15 = 33.1 kWh into the battery.
4. Divide by charger efficiency. A ferro-resonant charger around 84% efficient needs 33.1 ÷ 0.84 = 39.4 kWh from the wall.
5. Multiply by your rate. 39.4 kWh × $0.1354 = $5.34 per shift.

For your real rate, divide your total monthly electric bill by total kWh used. That “all-in” figure already spreads your fixed and demand charges across every kWh, which gives a more honest cost per shift than the energy line alone.

Does the type of charger change what you pay?

Yes. An older SCR charger can draw about 20% more electricity per shift than a modern high frequency charger feeding the same battery. On a 48V truck at commercial rates, that gap is close to a dollar a shift. The CARB charger efficiency ranges show why: SCR chargers typically run 78% to 82% efficient, ferro-resonant units 82% to 86%, and high frequency chargers 90% to 96%. Older chargers sit at the low end of each band, so a worn unit in the corner of a battery room often performs worse than its spec sheet suggests. In our experience selling and servicing used equipment, the charger is the part buyers forget to ask about. A clean truck can arrive with a charger that is decades old, and nobody notices because it still turns on. When you shop used, add “what charger comes with it, and how old is it?” to your list of questions to ask before purchasing a used forklift. One dollar a shift sounds small until you multiply it across a fleet and several years.

Is a 36V or 48V forklift cheaper to charge?

Voltage alone does not change charging cost; the total kWh stored in the battery does. A 36V battery and a 48V battery holding the same kWh cost the same to recharge. The 48V truck in the table above costs more per shift because its battery holds more energy (36 kWh versus 27 kWh), not because 48 volts is less efficient. Bigger, heavier-capacity trucks need bigger batteries, and they use more of that energy moving heavier loads. The right question is whether the truck is sized to your loads and your shift length, which our guide on choosing the right forklift for your warehouse walks through.

Do demand charges change the per-shift cost?

They can, and sometimes they cost more than the electricity itself. Many commercial utility rates bill your highest power draw in the month per kW, and plugging every truck in at the same time at shift change creates exactly that spike. Here is how it adds up. A charger refilling about 40 kWh over four hours draws roughly 10 kW. Ten trucks plugged in together at 5 p.m. set a 100 kW peak. A university industrial assessment of a manufacturing plant found summer demand charges of $17 per kW at that site; at that rate, the 100 kW peak alone would add around $1,700 to one month’s bill. Spread across a single-shift fleet of ten trucks working 22 days, that is nearly $8 per truck per shift, more than the energy charge in the table. The fix rarely costs anything: stagger charger start times, or use chargers with delayed start so trucks begin charging after peak hours. Check your own utility tariff, because demand rates vary widely and some small accounts are not billed for demand at all.

Is lithium cheaper to charge than lead-acid?

Usually yes, because lithium batteries do not need the 15% to 18% overcharge that lead-acid batteries require and typically charge with less energy lost as heat. The trade-off is a higher purchase price up front. As a rough illustration, if you remove the overcharge factor and pair a 36 kWh lithium pack with a high frequency charger, grid energy per shift drops to about 31 kWh, or roughly $4.19 at the commercial average versus $5.34 for the same size lead-acid battery on a ferro-resonant charger. Real results depend on the pack, the charger and how you use it. Lithium also allows opportunity charging during breaks, which changes how you schedule rather than how much you pay per kWh. Our full comparison of lithium-ion vs lead-acid forklift batteries covers purchase price, lifespan and maintenance.

Does charging at night save money?

On a time-of-use rate, yes: off-peak energy is cheaper, and night charging keeps chargers off your daytime demand peak. On a flat rate with no demand charge, the clock makes little difference to the bill. The same university assessment found that plant’s off-peak energy rate was half its on-peak rate, and recommended moving all forklift charging off-peak at zero implementation cost. Ask your utility which rate schedule you are on before you change anything. For single-shift operations, night charging also gives a lead-acid battery the full, uninterrupted charge and cool-down it needs, which ties directly to how long a forklift battery lasts.

What makes a forklift cost more to charge than it should?

An aging or poorly maintained battery is the most common hidden cost, because it holds less charge, needs more frequent charging, and wastes more energy as heat. Old chargers and bad charging habits make it worse. The patterns we see most often on trucks that come in for service are low electrolyte levels, frequent partial “top-up” charges on lead-acid batteries that were never designed for them, and batteries left sitting discharged. Each one raises the energy cost per hour of useful work and shortens battery life. Our guides on how to water a forklift battery and what causes forklift battery failures cover the fixes. If a battery has already lost capacity, compare the cost of forklift battery regeneration against replacement before buying new.

Does a forklift really use 23.5 kWh per hour of run time?

No. At that rate an eight-hour shift would need about 188 kWh, roughly five times what a standard 36 kWh forklift battery can store. The figure circulates on older industry forums, and it does not survive basic arithmetic. A battery can only give back what it holds. Even with charger losses and overcharge included, a 48V, 750Ah truck draws around 36 to 43 kWh per full shift, or roughly 5 to 7 kWh per hour of operation. Use that range when you compare running costs in our electric vs propane forklift and electric vs diesel forklift comparisons.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to charge a forklift per month?

A 48V, 750Ah forklift charged once a day on a ferro-resonant charger costs about $117 a month at the 2026 U.S. commercial average. Two shifts a day roughly doubles that to about $235.

How many kWh does it take to charge a 48V forklift battery?

A 48V, 750Ah battery stores 36 kWh, and recharging it from 80% discharge takes about 36 to 43 kWh from the wall. The exact figure depends on the charger’s efficiency and overcharge setting.

Should you charge a lead-acid forklift battery after every shift?

Charge it once it reaches roughly 20% to 30% remaining, which for most operations means once per shift. Frequent partial charges shorten lead-acid life, so see our forklift battery maintenance guide for a full charging routine.

Does an old battery cost more to charge?

Yes, per hour of work. A worn battery holds less usable energy and loses more to heat, so you charge it more often for the same output.

Conclusion

For most operations, charging an electric forklift costs a few dollars per shift: about $3 to $6 for a standard 48V truck at today’s business rates, and less for smaller 24V and 36V machines. The bigger savings come from the things around the electricity, such as a modern charger, a healthy battery, and charging schedules that avoid a fleet-wide spike at shift change. Run your own numbers with the five-step formula above, using your battery tag and your actual rate. If the math points to a newer charger, a battery upgrade, or a different truck altogether, our team can help you compare options, and if you only need extra capacity for a busy season, review the cost of renting a forklift before you commit to buying.