Source:News Release (web) from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.

A general-purpose fuel cell (FC) forklift, newly developed, is equipped with a portable cassette for supplying hydrogen.

Developed by:

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI), Nippon Yusoki Co., Ltd (Nichiyu), and JFE Container Co., Ltd.

MHI: developed an economical and safe vehicle system

JFE Container: developed a cassette type hydrogen-supplying unit

Nichiyu: supplied the battery forklift. The fuel cell unit was mounted on the forklift.

The development of the FC forklift has been supported by grant from the global warming countermeasure project by the Ministry of the Environment

A major feature of the FC forklift is that a low-price, portable hydrogen cassette (cassette type hydrogen-supplying unit) is used for supplying hydrogen gas to the fuel cell. Use of the hydrogen cassette increases freedom of use of the FC forklift. The FC forklifts, which are now being developed in North American and Europe, are supplied with hydrogen gas from the hydrogen station.

The demonstration tests have been conducted in three different use environments, such as cold storage room and outdoors. The company was confident of commercializing the FC forklift through the demonstration test. A concluding demonstration test of the FC forklift will be conducted, aiming to commercialize the FC forklift in the first half of 2010.

The FC forklift developed this time is now exhibited at Logis-Tech Tokyo 2008, September 9 to 12, 2008, Tokyo Bigsite. The company is also exhibiting a hybrid forklift using a diesel engine and motors, which has been developed aiming to launch into the market in 2009.