Viličari na gorivo, koji koriste benzin, dizel ili ukapljeni naftni plin, nude veliku snagu (trenutačnu izlaznu snagu) i prikladni su za-teško dizanje na otvorenom. Međutim, poznato je da emitiraju visoke razine buke (75-85dB) i emisije ispušnih plinova (CO₂ i NOx), što rezultira dnevnim troškom goriva od približno 150-300 juana. Električni viličari, s druge strane, napajaju se baterijama (s ciklusom punjenja od 8-10 sati), ne zagađuju okoliš i nude niske razine buke (<60dB). They are suitable for indoor applications such as warehouses, offering a handling accuracy of ±5mm. However, the batteries last approximately 3-5 years and require replacement, costing approximately 20,000-50,000 yuan. In terms of cost-effectiveness, fuel forklifts have a lower purchase price (100,000-200,000 yuan) but higher maintenance costs (approximately 15,000 yuan per year). Electric forklifts, on the other hand, have a higher initial investment (150,000-300,000 yuan) but offer energy savings of over 50%.
