Meet the world’s first hydrogen fuel cell-powered container handler
Portland, Oregon-based lift-truck designer and maker Hyster Company just announced that it’s now piloting the first hydrogen fuel cell-powered (HFC) container handler.
The HFC top-pick container handler pilot program is taking place at Fenix Marine Services in the Port of Los Angeles.
A container handler is a special forklift that can efficiently stack emptied shipping containers and lift and handle heavy-loaded containers.
Hyster built on its industry-standard H1050-1150XD-CH top-pick container handler design and added two 45kw hydrogen fuel cells from Nuvera, which makes fuel cell engines that can power mid- and heavy-duty vehicles. Nuvera is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hyster’s parent company Hyster-Yale Group.
A California Climate Investments grant awarded by the California Air Resources Board in 2018 helped support the development of this HFC-powered container handler.
The “HFC-powered top pick,” as Hyster calls it, provides the zero emissions benefits of a battery electric option, with enough capacity to keep operators moving and avoid the need to stop in the middle of a shift to refuel or recharge.
The hydrogen fuel cell works in tandem with an onboard lithium-ion battery to either power the equipment directly or charge the onboard battery.
Jan Willem van den Brand, director of global market development, big trucks at Hyster, said:
Our mission is to provide the innovative technologies our customers need to help meet their goals for emissions reduction and performance. For some operations, lithium-ion power might be the answer, but for others, hydrogen is the right choice.
The answer depends on so many factors like duty cycle, utility grid capacity, and fuel availability.
The Fenix Marine Services (FMS) container terminal uses compressed hydrogen delivered on-site to fuel the HFC top pick.
Hyster expects that refueling the container handler with hydrogen will take around 15 minutes, and that will provide 8 to 10 hours of continuous run time. The HFC-powered top pick will only produce water and heat.
It also features a patented Hyster energy recovery system for electric container handlers that recovers and stores energy from lowering loads and braking.
In May 2021, Hyster, a company that was founded in 1929, launched 350V lithium-ion powered forklifts with load capacities of up to 36,000 pounds.
Electrek’s Take
We at Electrek, of course, advocate for electric vehicles, but ultimately we’re interested in reducing emissions to fight climate change, and that’s why we believe hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles have their place when it comes to heavy vehicles like this one. This vehicle has a load capacity of over 90,000 pounds.
To state the obvious, there’s a lot of global shipping, and thus a lot of containers. (Where do you think all those Amazon orders you place come from?)
According to Statista, “In 2020, about 1.85 billion metric tons of cargo were shipped globally, up from some 0.1 billion metric tons in 1980.”
And that means a lot of container handlers.
So to make all of the container handlers run on clean energy would be a very good thing indeed.
Read more: Hurtigruten, which sails hybrid cruise ships, says it will launch fully electric ships by 2030
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With its tire-blistering acceleration and record-setting performance, the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra has been getting attention throughout the auto industry, impressing everyone who’s seen it. That “everyone” now seems to include the OG supercar brand, itself.
CarNewsChina posted pictures from a Weibo user that reportedly show a Xiaomi SU7 Ultra exiting the storied Ferrari factory in Maranello, Italy. According to a Chinese blogger going by 西米露在博洛尼亚 (which seems to translate to “Sago Dessert in Bologna”), the prancing horse brand is actively benchmarking the Chinese hypercar for its own upcoming EV.
The SU7 Ultra was definitely coming from inside Ferrari’s facility. After verification, we learned this specific vehicle was officially purchased by Ferrari for testing, and the development of their next-generation electric platform.
Yet another Chinese auto blogger, 苏黎世贝勒爷, claims that Ferrari representatives visited Xiaomi headquarters last year, allegedly to discuss the joint development of next-generation high-performance EV motors.
The Xiaomi SU7 Ultra made its debut last year, promising 1,548 hp, sub 2.0-second 0-60 mph times, and a top speed well over 200 mph – all at a price lower than a Tesla Model S Plaid or Porsche Taycan Turbo GT. The car sold out almost immediately after it was unveiled, racking up some 50,000 orders almost overnight.
The new electric benchmark
In the automotive world, “benchmarking” is a process in which car companies systematically tear down each others’ competitive products to compare everything from sound insulation, vehicle ride and handling, component materials, and even manufacturing methods against their own or against other industry leaders. The goal is to evaluate performance, cost, quality, and other key metrics, effectively figuring out “where they stand” in the market.
If Ferrari really did buy an SU7 to benchmark it against their own upcoming electric supercar, it’s more than just a curiosity – it could mean that the highest tiers of automotive innovation have shifted from West to East. Maybe forever.
Featured image via Xiaomi; sources throughout the post.
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We’re finally getting our first teases of the upgraded 2027 Chevy Bolt, built on GM’s battery/motor platform formerly known as Ultium. So far, so good for the vehicle, which will be revealed later this Fall.
Chevy took to social media today to tease the 2027 Chevy Bolt, saying, “You asked, we listened. The #ChevyBolt is back and better than ever. More this fall. 👀”
Chevy ended the original Bolt program with the 2023 model, which was loved by a loyal group of customers (including myself). Some of the major gripes, including charging speed and rear brake lights, already look to be addressed. Also, a new more aggressive fascia is debuting.
Electrek’s take
GM has done an incredible job keeping the 2027 Bolt under wraps. It will be the first GM vehicle with a native NACS port after the Cadillac Optiq-V, which we spied in Seattle last week.
Hopefully, the new Bolt will have improved charging speeds over and above the 54kW that previous Bolts adhered to. One possible downgrade is that the old Bolt’s amazing wireless CarPlay/Android Auto system will likely be replaced by GM’s move to Android’s built-in experience. For a few years, the Chevy Bolt was the most affordable long-range EV, and it won our 2022 Electrek car of the year for its versatility and price.
I would, of course, like to see the new Bolt as a hot hatchback, but GM CEO Mary Barra has hinted that it will likely take more of the EUV’s SUV form factor. Things like AWD options, SuperCruise, pricing, power and range are yet to be revealed, but stay tuned to Electrek for the latest on Bolt developments.
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On today’s test-acular episode of Quick Charge, it’s a new day and a new Chinese ADAS test for Tesla to conquer – but this one’s got a LOT more pedestrian carnage to parse through! We’ve also got some great e-bike deals from Retrospec and a bladder-busting Hyundai.
Today’s episode is brought to you by Retrospec – the makers of sleek, powerful e-bikes and outdoor gear built for everyday adventure! To that end, we’ve got a pair of Retrospec e-bike reviews followed up by the updated Hyundai IONIQ 6 with nearly 350 miles of range from its updated long-range battery. With that, Hyundai now has the longest range Korean EV on the market, while Texas is adding megawatts of battery energy storage to beef up its troubled grid, and it’s doing so faster and cheaper than ever before.
Plus: Quick Charge listeners can get an extra 10% off the price of their next awesome e-bike by using code ELECTREK10 at retrospec.com!
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Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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