The past few years have seen
growing investment in the
development of fuel-cell
technology, particularly in
the USA. Crown has been
researching fuel-cell forklift
applications for more than
seven years and in 2008 set
up its own dedicated fuel-cell
research and test centre.

Crown says it initiated the
industry’s first fuel-cell
qualification programme and
has now qualified more than
20 lift truck models to
operate with fuel-cells in the
US market, many of which
are already in use at customer
locations.

Now a new fleet of 35
Crown FC 4500 Series
counterbalanced lift trucks,
fitted with fuel cells, has been
delivered to Coca-Cola
Bottling Co. Consolidated,
further demonstrating the
lift-truck manufacturer’s
strength in the strategic
deployment of fuel cellpowered
forklifts.

Converting a lift truck fleet
to fuel-cell technology does
require additional investment
in warehouse infrastructure,
but this one-off capital
investment can usually be
offset against the benefits of
the new technology, such as a
possible increase in
productivity.