They may not be as sexy as hydrogen cars parading down the road from one green event to the next with photo ops with congressmen and governors, but some less glamorous hydrogen vehicles are also starting to grab the public’s attention.
For instance, lawnmower-maker Toro has paraded out its hydrogen-powered Workman utility vehicle at the Minnesota State Fair. One of the themes of the fair was pollution control and recycling.
Toro has also partnered with the State of New York to supply three hydrogen Workman utility vehicles for Niagara Falls State Park. These same vehicles went on display at the 2007 Golf Industry Show in Anaheim, California back in February.
Air Products has teamed up with Plug Power to develop 20 zero emissions hydrogen fuel cell forklifts for industrial use to replace electrical forklifts. One of the advantages for this market is that hydrogen forklifts can be refueled in as little as five minutes, whereas electric forklifts need several hours to recharge.
So, though, these machines may not be all that sexy, they have caught the attention of business and industrial users who want zero emissions, high performance and quick refueling times.