With the acquisition of hydrogen fuel cell company Nuvera Fuel Cells, Inc., NACCO Materials Handling Group, Inc. (NMHG) is set to begin producing OEM-integrated fuel cell technology into lift trucks. Hyster Company and Yale Materials Handling Corporation are operating divisions of NMHG.

Nuvera develops and produces fuel cell stack sub-systems and the supporting on-site hydrogen production and dispensing systems. Hyster and Yale, which now offer several alternative-energy lift trucks including battery-electrics and hybrids in addition to their internal combustion engines, intend to commercialize and integrate this technology across large parts of their lift truck product ranges. In addition to factory-fitted power options, Nuvera’s Orion fuel cell stacks are configurable to accommodate aftermarket and retrofit solutions and designed to fit almost any brand electric powered lift truck, according to the company.

“This acquisition creates a unique opportunity to develop an integrated solution to optimize performance and energy efficiency. It also allows us to provide full life cycle maintenance, service, and fueling requirements to meet the customers' needs and offer lower total cost of ownership,” said Colin Wilson, president and chief executive officer, NACCO Materials Handling Group.

In addition to offering configurable fuel cell stack technology, the acquisition will allow Hyster and Yale to provide commercial-grade on-site hydrogen generation and refueling capabilities. Retrofitting and servicing will be provided through Nuvera authorized dealers.