Alternative energy sources for forklifts – a way to make intralogistics green

Abstract

Growing awareness of environmental problems, and in particular with well-published issues such as acid rain, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and global warming, “greenness” become a catchword in logistic as a heart of modern transport systems since early of 1990s. To overcome these problems new field of logistic research is emerging, focusing on the adaptation of logistical systems and supply chains to climate change. Therefore, it is a trend in intralogistics sector in recent years to invest more in green technologies. In the last few years, the success from fuel cell demonstrations has moved rapidly into commercial forklift operations. This paper addresses the potential benefits in using the fuel cells and triple hybrid drives in forklift trucks as a field of potential improvements in intralogistic.