Plug Power (PLUG 8.74%) today announced that it is expanding its relationship with Walmart (WMT 3.42%). The maker of fuel cell engines will be supplying the retailer's e-commerce network.
Plug Power has been providing Walmart with its hydrogen engines and fueling since 2010. Walmart uses about 9,500 Plug Power fuel cell vehicles at 37 of its North American distribution centers.
Image source: Plug Power.
Walmart uses Plug Power's GenKey, a range of offerings to power, fuel, and service hydrogen and fuel cell applications. Plug Power began expanding into Walmart's e-commerce in August 2020, and says it will continue that expansion into 2021.
Uses for the company's products include material-handling trucks and automated guided vehicles. The logistics of e-commerce require a variety of product handling at warehouses, distribution centers, and stores. The company's products are also used in commercial fleets for delivery vehicles.
Jeff Smith, senior director for Walmart's supply chain, touted the benefits of Plug Power's solutions during the pandemic, saying, "At our distribution facilities across the country, our decision to be an early adopter of Plug Power's hydrogen fuel cells has helped us manage and meet the increased demand for food and basic supplies."
