material handling update | Lift Trucks Hydrogen fuel cells have been touted as the next big thing in powering electric lift trucks, yet for many reasons adoption rates remain low. Here’s why. Lift truck fleet managers are perpetually on a quest to find more efficient, less costly, and lower-maintenance equipment. That applies not just to the forklifts themselves but also to the power sources that keep them moving. The result has been significant improvements in existing power technologies as well as the development of new ones. One of the newer options is the hydrogen fuel cell, which produces electricity through a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen. While it’s unlikely they will ever fully replace tried-and-true technologies like lead-acid batteries, hydrogen fuel cells do show promise. Proponents tout their labor savings, environmental benefits, and ease of refueling, among other advantages. But like any developing technology, fuel cells also have drawbacks, and critics say there’s good reason so few lift truck fleets are using them. That could soon change, however. Some recent developments suggest hydrogen fuel cells could see wider adoption in the next three to five years. THE UPSIDE One of the main reasons fleet managers consider switching to fuel cells is that they offer significant labor savings. Fuel cells can be attractive in that regard because it takes less time to refill them than it does to swap out batteries. Refueling involves refilling an onboard storage tank with compressed hydrogen, so the fuel cells "can be refueled in a couple of minutes and be back in operation right away," says Andy Marsh, CEO of Plug Power Inc., a supplier of hydrogen fuel cells, fueling systems, and services. He contrasts that with changing batteries, which requires lift truck operators to take 15 minutes or more out of their shift […]