BMW Manufacturing Co.

In October 2010, BMW Manufacturing Co. deployed a fleet of 86 Plug Power GenDrive^® powered materials handling vehicles at its Spartanburg, South Carolina automotive manufacturing plant.

That fleet has since grown to nearly 100. The fuel cell-powered forklifts, tuggers and stackers are used in the new assembly hall that produces the BMW X3 Sports Activity Vehicle^®.

Since 2003, BMW Manufacturing Co. has used methane gas to power part of the plant’s total energy requirements, earning the company the number four spot on EPA’s “Top 20 On-site Generation” list. The gas is collected from the local Palmetto landfill and is cleaned, compressed and delivered to the plant via a 9.5-mile pipeline. BMW Manufacturing Co., the South Carolina Research Authority, the Gas Technology Institute, Ameresco Inc., and the South Carolina Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Alliance are working together to develop a method to convert some of this methane gas onsite into hydrogen for the fuel cell forklifts. This effort is funded, in part, by a grant from DOE. In the meantime, hydrogen is delivered to the plant for use in the plant’s hydrogen storage and distribution center.

By using fuel cell-powered forklifts, BMW Manufacturing Co. will avoid consuming 1.8 million kWh of electricity annually, which will save 1,200 tons of CO2 emissions.¹⁹

The GenDrive® fuel cell forklifts can be fueled by the vehicle’s operator in just 60 to 180 seconds, compared to the 20 minutes it takes specialized maintenance personnel, on average, to change out a depleted lead-acid battery.²⁰

“BMW has taken another important step to affirm our global commitment to sustainability with a project such as this in Spartanburg. There’s a clear vision and determination to reach our goal of using renewable energy as much as possible throughout the plant site.” - Josef Kerscher, President of BMW
Manufacturing²¹

“The implementation of a hydrogen fuel cell based application for our materials handling equipment helps solidify BMW’s position as the leading sustainable automotive manufacturer.” - Max Metcalf, Communications Manager, BMW Manufacturing

BMW Manufacturing Co. initially purchased 86 fuel cell-powered forklifts.