Hyundai Construction Equipment Develops Small Hydrogen Forklift for Logistics Warehouses

[Asia Economy Reporter Suyeon Woo] Hyundai Construction Equipment, which succeeded in developing the country's first medium-sized hydrogen forklift, is now embarking on the development of small hydrogen forklifts in the 1~3t class.

On the 17th, Hyundai Construction Equipment announced that it recently signed a 'Joint Business Agreement (MOU) for the Expansion of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Forklift Distribution' with hydrogen fuel cell specialist company S-FuelCell and will jointly develop small hydrogen forklifts.

According to this agreement, Hyundai Construction Equipment will be responsible for hydrogen forklift production and powerpack control and communication systems, while S-FuelCell will handle the development and production of hydrogen fuel cell powerpacks. The hydrogen fuel cell powerpacks for forklifts jointly developed by the two companies can operate for up to 8 hours on a single charge based on more stabilized output performance.

Hyundai Construction Equipment is expected to strengthen its leading position in the upcoming eco-friendly forklift market by expanding its hydrogen forklift lineup, while S-FuelCell will secure a stable supply source for hydrogen packs in the future, creating synergy effects between the two companies.

Hyundai Construction Equipment's medium-sized hydrogen forklift, the first developed in Korea / Photo by Hyundai Construction Equipment

Hydrogen fuel cells generate electricity by combining hydrogen and oxygen, and are gaining attention as eco-friendly alternative energy with high energy efficiency and no pollutant emissions. In the United States, where the use of hydrogen fuel cells is active, more than 30,000 hydrogen forklifts have already been sold and are being used in large logistics warehouses such as Walmart and Amazon.

Hyundai Construction Equipment plans to complete the commercialization of small hydrogen forklifts by 2023, when related infrastructure such as hydrogen charging stations is expected to be established domestically. S-FuelCell currently holds more than 50% market share in the domestic building fuel cell market and was recognized for its technology and selected as a hydrogen-specialized company by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in June this year.

Hwang Jong-hyun, head of the Industrial Vehicle R&D division at Hyundai Construction Equipment, said, "In 2020, Hyundai Construction Equipment, together with Hyundai Mobis, succeeded in developing the country's first 5t-class medium hydrogen forklift." He added, "Through this collaboration with S-FuelCell, we will expand our product lineup to include 1~3t-class small hydrogen forklifts specialized for logistics warehouses and lead the eco-friendly logistics business."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.