LONG BEACH, CA – Industries, port officials, and the public attended The Future is Green Conference in Long Beach, Calif., Sept. 14-16. The conference highlighted the latest advancements in clean air technology. Southern California forklift service company, Myers Select, presented a prototype of the Linde hydrogen-combustion forklift. This was the machine’s North American debut, following its world premiere in Germany last spring.

The hydrogen-powered forklift will not be available for purchase for at least another seven years, said Linde spokesman Dale Verseput. He cited high production costs as the main reason for the machine’s slow development.

 “We are on the leading edge of forklift manufacturing,” Verseput said. “Our goal is to raise awareness in the production industry to allow these machines to be economically feasible. The greater number of companies that can make a commitment to hydrogen-powered technology, the cleaner our environment will be.”

When the hydrogen-powered model is made available, Myers Select will be the exclusive provider in the Southern California area.