The short answer
Electric is winning the warehouse. Diesel is still winning the yard. The trade isn't ideological — it's about duty cycle, surfaces, indoor air quality, and how often you can charge.
| Electric | LPG | Diesel | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Indoor warehouse, single-shift, food/pharma | Mixed indoor/outdoor, year-round | Outdoor yard, heavy duty, multi-shift |
| Running cost / hour | €1.40–€2.20 | €2.50–€3.50 | €3.00–€4.20 |
| Capital cost (new 2.5T) | €26K–€38K | €22K–€28K | €20K–€26K |
| Indoor air quality | Best | Acceptable with ventilation | Poor — needs forced ventilation |
| Refuel/charge time | 6–8h charge or 90s battery swap | 2 min bottle change | 3 min refuel |
| Cold weather | Battery range drops 15–25% under 5°C | Tolerant | Best |
| Maintenance | Low (no engine oil, no plugs) | Moderate | Higher |
| Resale value (5yr) | Strong if Li-ion; weak if old lead-acid | Stable | Stable |
Running cost detail
For a 2.5T counterbalance running 30 hours/week, 50 weeks/year (1,500 hours/year):
- Electric at €0.30/kWh and 7 kWh/h consumption: ~€2.10/hour fuel + ~€0.40/h tyre/maintenance = ~€2.50/hour all-in
- LPG at €1.40/kg and 2.4 kg/h consumption: ~€3.40/hour fuel + ~€0.50/h maintenance = ~€3.90/hour all-in
- Diesel at €1.65/litre and 2.6 L/h consumption: ~€4.30/hour fuel + ~€0.70/h maintenance = ~€5.00/hour all-in
Over 1,500 hours/year, the gap between electric and diesel is roughly €3,750/year. If electricity is on a cheaper night-rate or you've solar on site, that gap widens further.
The indoor air-quality argument
In a sealed warehouse, diesel forklifts emit NOx, particulate matter and CO. Even with forced ventilation, regulated workplaces (food processing, pharma, healthcare logistics) treat diesel-indoor as a no. The Health and Safety Authority will look for an exposure assessment. LPG is cleaner but still produces CO; in tight indoor spaces, ventilation matters. Electric has no tailpipe emissions, full stop. For any employer running a warehouse with full-shift indoor operation, electric isn't just cheaper — it's the path of lowest regulatory friction.
SEAI grants and electric fleets
SEAI's commercial-fleet electrification grants apply to road-going EVs, not to off-road forklifts directly. However, if you're running a depot or warehouse where you can claim the Accelerated Capital Allowance (ACA) for energy-efficient equipment, qualifying electric forklifts on the SEAI ACA-approved equipment list can be written off in the year of purchase — a meaningful tax benefit at 12.5% corporation tax. Check current ACA-listed forklift models with your accountant.
Why diesel still wins for some
- Outdoor yard, mud and rain: diesel's torque and ground clearance beat electric's gentler power delivery on rough ground.
- Multi-shift, no time to charge: if your forklift runs 16 hours a day, 6 days a week, you're swapping batteries or running diesel.
- Heavy lift (5T+): diesel currently dominates at the heavy end; electric heavy-lift exists but at premium pricing and longer lead-times.
The Irish-specific call
If your workload is indoor and single-shift, go electric. If it's outdoor yard work, go diesel. If it's mixed (your truck moves between an indoor warehouse and an outdoor yard several times a day), LPG is still the most pragmatic answer. The "all-electric by 2030" pressure is real but it's pulling down electric prices and pulling up diesel residuals — neither has tipped the calculation entirely yet.
Want to model the specific maths for your operation? See the hire-vs-buy ROI guide, which the same numbers feed into.