Discount supermarket chain Lidl is switching the entire battery-electric vehicle fleet of a logistics hub to fuel cells powered by green hydrogen, making it the first of its kind in Europe, according to a press release.
Around 100 forklifts or 80 percent of the vehicle fleet in the German retailer’s logistics centre in Carquefou, in Western France, already operate on green hydrogen, and the rest is to follow by the end of the year. The centre will be supplied with 75 kilograms of green hydrogen per day generated 75 kilometres away by company Lhyfe using wind energy.
Lidl said refuelling times had been decisive in its decision to opt for fuel cells. “The refuelling time for a hydrogen vehicle is only 2 to 3 minutes compared to several hours for a lead-acid battery,” the company said.
Hydrogen powered vehicles are available 97 percent of the time compared to…