The shift to electric material handling equipment is accelerating. Here is what is driving it and why the case for switching has become clearer over the past several years.
Electric tuggers now hold roughly 58 percent share of the industrial tugger market as of 2025, according to Fact.MR. The global market for industrial tuggers is projected to grow from $1.4 billion in 2025 to $2.5 billion by 2035. And about 70 percent of annual forklift purchases are now electric, up from a much smaller share a decade ago. The direction of the industry is not ambiguous.
The shift is driven by a combination of economics, environment, and labor. All three point in the same direction.
The two ways facilities currently handle it and why both fall short
Most industrial facilities manage heavy load movement with one of two approaches.
Option A: Run the gas or propane machine. Powerful enough for the load, relatively fast to deploy. But gas and propane equipment produces exhaust that rules out indoor use without proper ventilation. This is a real constraint in service bays, enclosed warehouses, food facilities, and cleanrooms. It also requires more maintenance than electric alternatives, needs fuel logistics, and in regulated environments, creates ongoing compliance overhead. When the environment is indoors or the deployment zone is restricted, this approach breaks down, or forces the facility to build infrastructure around the equipment’s limitations.
Option B: Move it manually. Two or three workers line up behind a cart, a vehicle, or a heavy load and walk it into position. This works for lighter loads on good surfaces. It doesn’t scale. It exhausts the crew. And it puts workers in direct, repeated contact with the most costly injury category in U.S. workplaces: overexertion from pushing and pulling, which costs employers $13.7 billion annually, according to Liberty Mutual’s 2025 Workplace Safety Index. Late in a shift, on a worn floor, or in a facility where the same loads move dozens of times a day, the risk compounds with every move.
Both approaches share the same problem: one is too expensive to maintain, the other is too expensive in human cost. Neither is built for precision, indoor flexibility, or single-operator control. That is the gap electric movers fill.
Why electric equipment wins on economics
Dual Motor Super Power Pusher 04 Web
Electric material handling equipment has a higher upfront cost, typically 10 to 20 percent more than comparable gas-powered alternatives, but lower operating and maintenance costs over the equipment’s life. Electric motors have fewer moving parts than combustion engines, require less maintenance, and don’t need fuel. Battery technology, particularly lithium-ion, has improved significantly: runtime is longer, charging is faster, and battery lifespan has extended.
For facilities running equipment across multiple shifts, the operating cost gap compounds quickly. A gas-powered mover requires refueling logistics, more frequent engine maintenance, and in some cases, emissions testing or ventilation costs. An electric mover needs a charging schedule and periodic battery maintenance.
The switching calculus is also affected by what electric equipment replaces. An electric pusher that eliminates the need for two or three workers per load-moving task replaces both the gas machine and the labor that was doing the work. The labor cost savings typically accelerate the payback period significantly.
The emissions and indoor use advantage
Electric material handling equipment produces zero direct emissions, which matters in three ways. First, it can be used anywhere, including cleanrooms, food production environments, enclosed warehouses, and automotive service bays where gas exhaust is a health and compliance issue. Second, it produces no noise beyond the motor, which matters for facilities with shift operations, medical environments, or any setting where noise is a constraint. Third, it helps facilities meet internal sustainability targets and customer-facing ESG commitments that are increasingly part of B2B procurement criteria.
Electric material handling equipment can cut warehouse emissions by approximately 70 percent compared to gas-powered alternatives, according to the Institute of Supply Chain Management.
What the market shift means for facilities that haven’t switched
As electric becomes the market standard, gas-powered equipment will become harder to source, service, and eventually justify to insurers and regulators. The infrastructure for electric charging is simpler and cheaper to install than the fuel and ventilation infrastructure required for indoor gas equipment use.
Facilities still using manual team methods or aging gas-powered equipment are also facing a different labor market than they were five years ago. Workers are more aware of ergonomic risks, more willing to leave jobs where physical demands are excessive, and in sectors with tight labor markets, facilities that mechanize manual movement have a genuine retention advantage.
What to look for when evaluating electric movers
Battery type matters. Lithium-ion batteries offer longer runtime, faster charging, and longer lifespan than older sealed lead-acid options. For multi-shift operations, lithium-ion is worth the premium.
Load rating and surface compatibility are the primary practical specifications. The right electric mover is sized for the heaviest load you move most frequently, on the surfaces you have, through the clearances that constrain your operation.
For most industrial environments, one conversation with the equipment team about load weight, surface type, clearances, and shift requirements is enough to identify the right model. The harder part is usually getting the organization to make the switch. Once facilities do, very few go back.
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FAQ
Q: Is electric material handling equipment ready for heavy industrial use?
Yes. The PowerPusher line handles loads from a few hundred pounds up to 150,000 lbs, depending on the model. Battery technology has advanced to the point where runtime and reliability are not limiting factors for most industrial applications.
Q: What happens when the battery runs out mid-shift?
Most PowerPusher models use lithium-ion or AGM batteries designed for full-shift runtime. Charging plans are typically built around shift schedules. For operations running continuous or multi-shift environments, the PowerPusher team can recommend the right battery configuration.
Q: Can electric pushers handle outdoor and rough-surface environments?
Most models work on concrete, asphalt, and packed surfaces. Pneumatic tires handle minor surface variation. For specific outdoor, sloped, or uneven surface requirements, the PowerPusher team can spec the right configuration.
Q: Does switching to electric require facility infrastructure changes?
Usually minimal. A standard outlet for charging is typically all that’s needed. Compare that to the ventilation requirements for indoor gas-powered equipment use.
Sources
- Fact.MR, Industrial Tugger Market Outlook 2025-2035 — https://blog.factmr.com/industrial-tugger-market-outlook-2025-2035-innovation-growth-and-demand-trends/
- Market.us, Industrial Tugger Market Size, CAGR 6.9% — https://market.us/report/industrial-tugger-market/
- Liberty Mutual 2025 Workplace Safety Index — https://business.libertymutual.com/workplace-safety-index/
- IOSCM, Why Electric Material Handling Cuts 70% Warehouse Emissions — https://www.ioscm.com/blog/why-electric-material-handling-cuts-70-warehouse-emissions/
- Equipment Depot, Gas vs. Electric Forklifts — https://blog.eqdepot.com/gas-vs.-electric-forklifts-which-is-right-for-your-business
- Food Logistics, Automation and Electrification Drive Growth in Material Handling — https://www.foodlogistics.com/warehousing/material-handling-equipment/article/22956155/interact-analysis-automation-electrification-emerging-markets-drive-growth-in-material-handling-industry