Both the braking systems of electric forklifts and fuel-powered forklifts take "stopping the vehicle movement" as the core goal, but due to different power forms, their braking principles, structures, and characteristics have significant differences, as follows:

1. Core Principle of the Braking System of Electric Forklifts

The braking system of an electric forklift is usually a combination of "mechanical braking + electric braking (energy recovery)", and its core principle is based on "frictional resistance" and "motor reverse braking":

Mechanical braking (main braking)

• Principle: Friction is generated through the contact between the friction plate and the brake drum / brake disc, forcing the wheels to decelerate or stop, which is consistent with the traditional braking principle of fuel vehicles.

• Structure: It mostly adopts hydraulic braking or mechanical pull-rod braking (for small forklifts). The brake pedal controls the brake caliper / brake shoe through hydraulic pipelines or pull rods to apply braking force to the wheels.

Electric braking (auxiliary braking, optional)

• Principle: Using the "back electromotive force" characteristic of the motor, when the accelerator pedal is released, the motor switches to the generator mode, and the vehicle's kinetic energy is consumed through electromagnetic resistance to achieve deceleration (i.e., "energy recovery braking").

• Function: Reduce the wear of mechanical braking, and at the same time convert part of the kinetic energy into electrical energy to recharge the battery, extending the endurance；at low speed or light load, electric braking can undertake part of the braking task, improving braking smoothness.

2. Core Principle of the Braking System of Fuel-powered Forklifts

The braking system of a fuel-powered forklift mainly relies on pure mechanical / hydraulic friction braking, without electric braking function, and its principle is single:

It mainly depends on the hydraulic pump or air pressure pump driven by the engine power. The brake pedal controls the pressure of brake fluid / compressed air to push the brake shoe and brake drum (or brake caliper and brake disc) to rub, generating braking force.

Some large diesel forklifts are equipped with "exhaust braking" (increasing engine resistance by closing the exhaust pipe valve), but it only serves as an auxiliary deceleration method and does not directly participate in parking braking.

3. Comparison of Key Differences Between the Two

4. Braking Performance in Special Scenarios

• Downhill operation: The electric braking of electric forklifts can continuously provide resistance, avoiding overheating and failure of mechanical braking; fuel-powered forklifts need to step on the brake frequently, which easily causes the brake pads to overheat (especially when overloaded).

• Low-speed precise operation: The linear deceleration characteristic of electric braking (deceleration when the pedal is released) is more suitable for precise positioning in warehouses; fuel-powered forklifts need to step on the brake pedal frequently, resulting in slightly poor operational continuity.

In summary, due to the integration of electric braking technology, the braking system of electric forklifts is superior to the pure mechanical braking system of traditional fuel-powered forklifts in terms of safety, economy, and operating experience.