Will we all be driving forklifts powered by green energy in the future? It just might. A collaboration between Honda and Briggs Equipment has resulted in the first Yale forklift that is truly 'green'.
Sustainable energy
Yale’s forklift truck is powered entirely by hydrogen fuel cells. Yale has been using a forklift truck that runs entirely on fuel cell energy for some time, but the generation of these cells was still causing pollution. This is because the hydrogen would be produced using fossil fuels. According to Richard Close, CEO of Briggs Equipment, an attempt has now been made to produce hydrogen using renewable energy, which therefore involves no pollution.
No need to swap the battery
The hydrogen fuel cell fitted to the forklift ensures that the battery is charged whilst the forklift is in operation. This means the battery does not need to be swapped, which can save a considerable amount of time. However, the hydrogen fuel cell does need to be recharged at a refuelling point every so often, a process which, according to Close, takes around five minutes.
No mass production
The new forklift is seen as a technological breakthrough, but the question is whether companies will adopt the ‘green’ forklift on a large scale and move towards a zero-emission future. As this model uses renewable energy, mass production is unlikely to happen any time soon. The forklift truck in this form is therefore relatively expensive, particularly for smaller logistics companies that do not benefit from economies of scale.
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