Plug Power intros high-capacity fuel cell for materials handling

NEWS ROAD VEHICLES Editorial office: Elsevier Ltd The Boulevard, Langford Lane Kidlington Oxford OX5 1GB United Kingdom Tel:+44 (0)1865 843239 Fax: +44 (0)1865 843971 Website: www.fuelcellsbulletin.com Publisher: David Hopwood Editor: Steve Barrett E-mail: [email protected] Production Support Manager: Lin Lucas E-mail: [email protected] Subscription Information An annual subscription to Fuel Cells Bulletin includes 12 issues and online access for up to 5 users. Prices: 1334 for all European countries & Iran US$1495 for all countries except Europe and Japan ¥177 200 for Japan (Prices valid until 31 December 2013) To subscribe send payment to the address above. Tel: +44 (0)1865 843687 or via www.fuelcellsbulletin.com Subscriptions run for 12 months, from the date payment is received. Permissions may be sought directly from Elsevier Global Rights Department, PO Box 800, Oxford OX5 1DX, UK; phone: +44 1865 843830, fax: +44 1865 853333, email: [email protected]. You may also contact Global Rights directly through Elsevier’s home page (www.elsevier.com), selecting first ‘Support & contact’, then ‘Copyright & permission’. In the USA, users may clear permissions and make payments through the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, USA; phone: +1 978 750 8400, fax: +1 978 750 4744, and in the UK through the Copyright Licensing Agency Rapid Clearance Service (CLARCS), 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1P 0LP, UK; phone: +44 (0)20 7631 5555; fax: +44 (0)20 7631 5500. Other countries may have a local reprographic rights agency for payments. Derivative Works Subscribers may reproduce tables of contents or prepare lists of articles including abstracts for internal circulation within their institutions. Permission of the Publisher is required for resale or distribution outside the institution. Permission of the Publisher is required for all other derivative works, including compilations and translations. Electronic Storage or Usage Permission of the Publisher is required to store or use electronically any material contained in this journal, including any article or part of an article. Except as outlined above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the Publisher. Address permissions requests to: Elsevier Science Global Rights Department, at the mail, fax and email addresses noted above. Notice No responsibility is assumed by the Publisher for any injury and/ or damage to persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions or ideas contained in the material herein. Because of rapid advances in the medical sciences, in particular, independent verification of diagnoses and drug dosages should be made. Although all advertising material is expected to conform to ethical (medical) standards, inclusion in this publication does not constitute a guarantee or endorsement of the quality or value of such product or of the claims made of it by its manufacturer.

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Fuel Cells Bulletin

GM, Honda join forces on next-gen fuel cell, hydrogen storage tech

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eneral Motors and Honda have announced a long-term agreement to co-develop next-generation fuel cell system and hydrogen storage technologies. The collaboration is aiming for commercially feasible fuel cell and hydrogen storage in the 2020 time frame, by sharing expertise, economies of scale, and common sourcing strategies. Honda and GM also plan to work together with stakeholders to further advance the hydrogen refueling infrastructure, which is critical for the long-term viability and consumer acceptance of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). ‘Among all zero CO2 emission technologies, fuel cell electric vehicles have a definitive advantage with range and refueling time that is as good as conventional gasoline cars,’ says Takanobu Ito, president and CEO of Honda Motor Co. ‘Honda and GM are eager to accelerate the market penetration of this ultimate clean mobility technology, and I am excited to form this collaboration to fuse our leading fuel cell technologies and create an advanced system that will be both more capable and more affordable.’ GM’s Project Driveway programme, launched in 2007, has accumulated nearly 3 million miles of real-world driving in a fleet of 119 hydrogen FCEVs [FCB, April 2010, p2]. Honda began leasing of its Honda FCX in 2002, and has deployed 85 units in the US and Japan, including its successor, the FCX Clarity [FCB, July 2008, p1]. Honda has delivered these vehicles to customers in the US and collected valuable data relating to real-world use. Honda plans to launch the successor to the FCX Clarity in Japan and the US in 2015, and then in Europe [FCB, November 2012, p2]. GM will announce its FCEV production plans at a later date. Honda, FCEV: http://world.honda.com/FuelCell General Motors: www.gm.com

MOBILE APPLICATIONS

power fuel cell it has produced, and one of the largest so far developed for materials handling applications. The new 14 kW hydrogen PEM fuel cell is designed to bring increased productivity and reduced emissions to six-tonne forklift trucks. Plug Power’s GenDrive Series 1000 product family is targeted at sit-down counterbalanced trucks that are used in high-volume manufacturing and high-throughput warehousing and distribution operations. The new GenDrive 1900 is a drop-in replacement for lead-acid batteries on six-tonne capacity, four-wheel, Class 1 counterbalanced forklifts, which are among the most popular large-capacity forklift trucks in use. The new fuel cell is the company’s first to feature an optional second hydrogen tank, to double the hydrogen capacity. With both tanks installed, the fuel cell can store up to 3.4 kg of hydrogen, for an energy capacity of 50 kWh. Capable of a constant power output of 14 kW, the fuel cell delivers more than 8 h of runtime, i.e. 50% more than a conventional battery in this application. The GenDrive 1900 has a refill time of two minutes, maximising the productivity of forklift trucks. This new offering in its product line means that Plug Power now provides a complete solution that spans all Class 1 forklift trucks. This makes it possible for retail and manufacturing materials handling customers to standardise on hydrogen fuel cells in place of lead-acid batteries. The GenDrive 1900 runs at the same operating pressure (350 bar, 5000 psi) as other Series 1000 products, which helps to simplify hydrogen infrastructure. The new unit will start customer trials in the third quarter of 2013. Plug Power’s GenDrive fuel cells are powering materials handling equipment at a wide range of major end-users [see the Plug Power feature in FCB, December 2011]. Earlier this year the BMW US Manufacturing plant in Greer (Spartanburg), South Carolina expanded its use of hydrogen fuel cell powered materials handling equipment, boosting its fleet to 275 units – the largest such operation in North America – and adding extra hydrogen fueling capacity [FCB, March 2013, p1]. Plug Power, Latham, New York, USA. Tel: +1 518 782 7700, www.plugpower.com BMW US Manufacturing: www.bmwusfactory.com

Plug Power intros high- Next phase of HyLIFT Euro demo for fuel cell capacity fuel cell for materials handling material handling trial

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S-based Plug Power has launched the GenDrive™ 1900, the highest-

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he European HyLIFT platform is entering its next phase, with the

July 2013