Technology
Amazon and Wal-Mart Finally Found a Use for Hydrogen Power
- Fuel-cell-powered warehouse forklifts gaining on electric
- Retailers cite clean power and faster refueling than batteries
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Andy Marsh sees his future -- and it’s forklifts.
His tiny company, Plug Power Inc., makes hydrogen fuel cells, and for years he struggled to find customers. No longer. In April, Amazon.com Inc. agreed to try out the technology in forklift fleets at 10 of its warehouses. And in July, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. matched Amazon’s $600 million deal with a similar one, committing to double, to 58, the number of its warehouses that use forklifts running on Power Plug cells.