Hyster launches hydrogen forklift

Materials handling specialist Hyster-Yale has lifted the lid off its hydrogen-powered forklift, which it says offers a greener and more cost effective alternative to conventional gas and electric forklifts.

The company claims the units are the first of its kind in Australasia and that they are paving the way for more future-focussed work vehicles.

“The new hydrogen-powered forklift trucks are aimed particularly at companies seeking the ultimate combination of environmentally harmonious indoor and outdoor performance, without having to interrupt production cycles or have vehicles out of service for lengthy charging or battery changing,” says Hyster-Yale Asia-Pacific Managing Director, Tony Fagg.

“These benefits will extend to a wide range of materials handling operations, where productivity is a vital element in maintaining a competitive edge.”

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Hyster’s hydrogen ranges – which complement Hyster-Yale’s broader materials handling range – is powered by its Nuvera fuel cell systems, which are fast-fuelled power options that replace lead-acid batteries in class one, two and three electric lift trucks.

“The new hydrogen fuel cell powered forklifts can be re-fuelled in as quick as three minutes, which saves significant downtime compared with battery-operated forklifts, that can take up to eight hours to recharge,” Fagg says.

“This means the whole fleet can be used to its full potential – maximising product and operator utilisation – and provide gains in uptime and productivity.”

How it works

Recharging of the hydrogen-powered forklifts is no different from fuelling up a car or truck at the bowser.  A hose dispenser connected to the Nuvera hydrogen dispenser system pumps hydrogen into the hydrogen storage tank. As long as the fuel cell is supplied with hydrogen and oxygen, it will generate electricity to power the forklift’s electric motor.

In the process of the hydrogen fuel’s conversion to electricity through a chemical reaction in the cell, electricity is produced which is then used to power the electric motor that drives the vehicle.

Unlike a conventional fossil fuel engine, a fuel cell doesn't burn the hydrogen. Instead, it fuses the hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity and water, which is the primary emission from the vehicle, giving it clean, green credentials.

The vehicle was officially launched at an event in Sydney in April and made its first public appearance at the recent MegaTrans supply chain and logistics exhibition in Melbourne.