Fuel cells take centre stage

Lift truck manufacturer Crown has initiated what it says is the industry's first fuel-cell qualification programme and has qualified more than 20 lift truck models to operate with fuel-cells in the American market.

"Hydrogen refuelling takes approximately two to five minutes, while replacing a depleted battery can take as long as 40 minutes," explained Tim Quellhorst, senior vice president, Crown Equipment.

"What's more, in demanding applications, batteries may need to be changed after as little as six hours of runtime."