NACCO Materials Handling Group acquires Nuvera Fuel Cells company

NACCO Materials Handling Group (NMHG) has announced its acquisition of a leading hydrogen fuel cell company, Nuvera Fuel Cells.

The deal reinforces the commitment of Hyster Company and Yale Materials Handling Corporation, operating divisions of NMHG, to provide a broad range of alternative energy solutions to the lift truck market and positions them to become the first OEM manufacturers to integrate and factory-fit fuel cell technology directly into their products.

“Like everything we do, this deal was customer-driven,” said Colin Wilson, president and CEO, NACCO Materials Handling Group, Inc. “Increasingly, customers are asking for more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly lift truck options, and there is increasing market interest in the benefits of hydrogen fuel cell technology. This acquisition will allow us to be the first to deliver a factory-fit fuel cell option to the lift truck industry, providing distinct customer advantages and expanding our already broad range of alternative energy powered products.”

Headquartered in Billerica, Mass., Nuvera is a leader in the development and production of fuel cell stack sub-systems and the supporting on-site hydrogen production and dispensing systems.

Hyster Company and Yale Materials Handling Corporation, which presently offer several alternative energy lift trucks including battery-electrics and hybrids in addition to their internal combustion engines (ICEs), intend to commercialize and rapidly integrate this technology across large parts of their lift truck product ranges to offer customers an additional environmentally friendly choice. 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 in the market today.

“Both our Hyster and Yale brands work diligently to develop innovative products that address critical market needs,” Wilson said. “There is no doubt that our customers want clean, fuel-efficient options in their lift trucks. 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.”

In addition to offering configurable fuel cell stack technology to efficiently meet a wide range of power needs, 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.