What if there were a hydrogen fuel cell-powered forklift that could run entirely on renewable energy sources?
Well, now there is!
The Japanese vehicle manufacturer Honda has partnered with the UK-based Briggs Equipment to create a new type of “green” forklift that is 100% powered by renewable energy.
The current generation of hydrogen fuel-powered forklifts being used today use fossil fuels to produce the hydrogen. But this new hybrid forklift generates hydrogen from solar power via an on-site electrolyser, according to Briggs CEO Richard Close.
“These hybrid trucks are the first to use lithium battery technology with a hydrogen fuel cell to replace standard lead-acid batteries, resulting in materials handling equipment that produces zero emissions at the point of use,” Close told the website Port Strategy.
The modified Yale trucks feature a small lithium-ion battery which is recharged by the fuel cell. The battery can than operate as a normal power supply for driving and lifting with the vehicle. The hydrogen fuel cell acts as an onboard charger, allowing the truck to operate more efficiently because there is no need to switch out and remotely charge the battery.
“Gone are the big lead-acid batteries and their need for space, replacement and maintenance,” Close said. “Maintenance alone is one-and-a-half times lower. Productivity is also clearly a plus factor, allowing cost benefits to begin to stack up. There is also the potential to replace diesel engines and avoid and ever tightening legislative determination to bear down on NOx and particulate emissions, plus the potential price and supply volatility of hydrocarbons fuels.”