Gilmore: Ernst, there's obviously a Green play here with reducing greenhouse gases, etc. Can you summarize what the advantages or potential advantages of fuel cell trucks are?

Baumgartner: Fuel cells put out only water and heat, along with the energy to drive the lift truck. So there are no exhaust gases to deal with. Hydrogen gas is a very clean supply source for energy. A number of our customers have found that there is a positive business case, that they can save money by bringing in fuel cell-based lift trucks. Others have found that they can support their Green initiatives through using hydrogen gas that was generated coming from waste processes.

Gilmore: So you obviously get rid of all the battery charging processes that are a big headache for most companies. How are fuel cells recharged?

Baumgartner: Hydrogen gas is supplied to the facility, and the trucks are refueled using typical refueling stations that look almost like gas stations for automobiles.

Gilmore: You do this once per day approximately or what?

Baumgartner: You do that typically once a shift.

Gilmore: You recently announced you have delivered the 500th Crown fuel cell truck to market - where are you seeing the interest?

Baumgartner: We see various degrees of interest. Some customers started very early in deploying fuel cells, and have progressed to a production stage, where in some cases they are bringing in 100 or more lift trucks per site. They convert a site completely to be operated by fuel cells. Other companies have heard about it, they've heard about tax incentives, and bring in a few trucks for trials.

Gilmore: So just to be clear, you have a number of pilots, but you have a few customers that are in full production mode in a distribution center?

Baumgartner: Absolutely.

Gilmore: Obviously people are going to be interested in cost. You mentioned some companies can come up with a strong business case, and you also said there were some incentives out there that can be key to that overall business case - can you just give us some idea of the cost and value equation here?

Baumgartner: It can be a complicated process to go through the justification, and can be sensitive to a lot of different factors. Those include the cost of electricity as delivered to the facility, the cost of the hydrogen - that can be a regional cost . If you are close to a hydrogen generation facility, then the cost will be lower than if you are farther away.

Typically the hydrogen is trucked in either in pressurized gas form or in a liquid form. At some point in the future, one would anticipate pipelines, and that will bring the cost down and be a significant advantage.

Other factors include the cost of traditional batteries. In a three-shift operation, you need three batteries, and that helps in the business case usually. High duty cycles can play a role, when one battery per shift is not enough. Refueling of the fuel cells is very fast. It can be done two or three times a shift if needed, and doesn't impact productivity very much.

Gilmore: So it's just like going to a gas station and filling up - it happens in a few minutes or something?

Baumgartner: Yes, three to four minutes usually to refill a fuel cell completely.

Gilmore: Ernst, thanks so much for being here and education us today.

Baumgartner: Thanks for having me.

Do you have any experience evaluating or operating fuel cell-based lift trucks? What is your view on this? Ready now for prime time, or not quite there yet? Let us know your thoughts at the Feedback button below.