A fuel-cell powered Crown FC 4500 Series counterbalanced lift truck was demonstrated at the recent Ohio Fuel Cell Symposium as a demonstration of how emerging fuel cell technology can be used to power industrial vehicles.

The Ohio Fuel Cell Coalition is a group of industry, academic and government leaders working collectively to strengthen the State’s fuel cell industry and to accelerate the transformation of the region to global leadership in fuel cell technology. The 2009 Ohio Fuel Cell Symposium was held at the University Center at Kent State Park.

Eric Jensen, Crown Equipment Corp. manager of new technology research and development, observed, “Fuel cell technology has the potential to reduce costs and increase productivity for our customers. One of the biggest advantages is in the area of refueling. It typically takes two to three minutes to refill a fuel cell, compared to at least 30 minutes to change out a lead-acid battery.”

In April the company received its second grant from the State of Ohio’s Third Frontier Fuel Cell Program. The funding is to further test fuel cell-powered lift trucks at the Crown research center in Huber Heights, Ohio.

About Crown Equipment Corporation

Crown is the number one brand of electric lift trucks in the United States and the sixth largest lift truck manufacturer in the world. Crown's award-winning line of lift trucks has earned a reputation for exceptional product design, engineering and manufacturing. From the smallest hand pallet truck to the highest lifting turret truck, Crown seeks to provide users with safe, efficient and ergonomic lift trucks that lower total cost of ownership and maximize uptime. Headquartered in New Bremen, Ohio, Crown lift trucks are manufactured and sold throughout the world.