Comment Re:great idea (Score 1) 77
An elephant in the room is the efficiency, Solar electricity through electrolyser and fuel cell to power for the forklift (including electronics such as max-power-point trackers for solar panels) vs. equivalent devices (inverters, charge controllers, etc.) for alternatives such as battery-electric.
LFP and several other lithium battery systems are now 93-97% efficient round trip from solar or line input to line-equivalent AC. Going to motor control should be at least that good. Last I heard, electrolyzer/fuel cell systems were nowhere near that. Charging time vs. refueling time issues can be handled by swapping low battery packs with fresh ones on chargers. (The packs-on-chargers can also do time-shifting for shifts during no-sun periods.)
I hear now NASA used to find hydrogen leaks was by having a worker hold up a big sheet of cardboard as he walked forward. When it caught fire he'd found the leak. Hydrogen burns with an almost invisible (in sun or bright light) but VERY hot flame and "There's no such thing as a hydrogen leak that's NOT on fire." after non-trivial time.