Ace Hardware Corp. says it will be integrating GenDrive hydrogen fuel cell units from Plug Power Inc. into 65 Crown Equipment Corp. lift trucks. These trucks will be a part of the fleet at Ace Hardware's new facility in Wilmer, Texas, which is due for completion early next year.
‘The implementation of a hydrogen fuel cell-based application for our material handling equipment advances our strategy to provide the highest level of support to our customers and the communities that we serve, and that includes distribution centers that are focused on sustainability,’ says Dave Forte, director of distribution support and engineering for Ace Hardware.
Plug Power says the GenDrive fuel cells, whose only byproducts are heat and water, can be refueled in less than two minutes, substantially reducing truck-operator and vehicle downtime. Plug Power's current customers also includes Whole Foods, FedEx Freight and Wegmans.
