Wal-Mart trials fuel-cell forklifts

VANCOUVER, Canada

Three Crown PE4000 rider pallet trucks with Cellex hydrogen fuel cells will start trials in a distribution centre of the logistics subsidiary of Wal-Mart Stores Inc in January.

The location and length of the tests was not disclosed.

Cellex Power Products Inc, of Vancouver, built the power units with input from industrial gas supplier BOC Group, of Murray Hill, NJ, USA. The cells use proton exchange membrane (PEM) technology that typically operates in a range of 80C to 90C.

In October, the recently-introduced PE4000 Series from Crown Equipment Corp, of New Bremen, OH, USA, was recognised with a silver award in the 2004 Industrial Designers’ Society of America competition.

沃爾瑪試用燃料電池叉車

加拿大溫哥華

三輛裝有Cellex氫燃料電池的Crown PE4000騎式托盤車將于1月在沃爾瑪公司的物流子公司的一個配送中心開始試驗。

試驗的地點和時間沒有透露。

溫哥華的Cellex電力產品公司在美國新澤西州默里山的工業氣體供應商BOC集團的幫助下制造了這些動力裝置。這些電池使用質子交換膜（PEM）技術，通常在80C至90C范圍內運行。

10月，美國俄亥俄州新不萊梅的Crown設備公司最近推出的PE4000系列在2004年美國工業設計師協會競賽中被授予銀獎。