In response to the material handling industry's shift towards electric lift trucks, Cat Lift Trucks, a provider of lift trucks known for quality, reliability, and customer service, announces the Lift Truck Cost Comparison Tool, a free web resource that evaluates the total cost savings between electric alternating current (AC) and internal combustion (IC) lift trucks.

A calculator tool housed on the Cat Lift Trucks website, the Lift Truck Cost Comparison Tool factors in a lift truck's total cost of ownership - acquisition costs, fuel costs, and maintenance - with return on investment to allow customers and dealers to easily identify the most cost-efficient lift truck solution for their material handling needs.

"Over the last few years, the material handling industry has made a noticeable shift from the use of internal combustion forklifts to electric lift trucks, and for many customers, we've found that the deciding factor is cost," said Jeff Rufener, vice president of marketing, Cat Lift Trucks. "The Lift Truck Cost Comparison Tool is another resource to help guide customers through the decision-making process, detailing the true cost of lift truck ownership over the life of a fleet."

Open to the public, the lift truck calculator tool is dynamic and allows for real-time graph updates as information is changed. Easy to use, the addition of sliding bars enables click and drag and default values, so that customers without specifics can still take advantage of the tool. Users need only complete the following four steps before the results are posted:

1. Lift Truck Application - Choose the application environment; enter the number of effective lift truck operating hours per shift, with the number of shifts per day and number of working days per year, or enter the total operating hours per year.

2. Existing Lift Truck Fleet - Describe the incumbent IC fleet, enter the capacity of the forklift trucks for comparison, the number of lift trucks in the application and the acquisition costs for the existing IC trucks, or use the default list prices.

3. Electric Alternative - Based on the previous information provided, the tool will recommend the electric lift truck best suited for your application and will auto-populate the default list price. Enter the number and cost of batteries and chargers, or use the default values provided.

4. Fuel and Maintenance Costs - Enter the cost of electricity for electric and fuel for LPG and/or Gasoline/Diesel lift trucks. Then, enter the fuel tank size and monthly maintenance costs or utilize the default values provided.

Once data is entered and the output produced, the cost comparison tool allows for easy sharing of final results through a simple download and email function. To access the free lift truck cost calculator tool and begin a comparison, visit www.savewithelectrics.com.

Cat Lift Trucks is also offering the Power Redefined rebate, a $500 rebate on the purchase or lease of any new electric counterbalanced Cat lift truck through Dec. 31, 2011. For those interested in switching to an electric lift truck, see the full details at the company's website, the Cat lift truck Facebook fan page, or call your local dealer.

For additional information on the advantages of AC over IC technology, read "Choosing AC Electric Forklift Trucks Over Internal Combustion," at the Cat Lift website.