PRESS INFORMATION - Re: Xcellsis
XCELLSIS GmbH | GERMANY | Neue Strasse 95
D-73230 Kirchheim/Teck-Nabern
Fon (+49) 7021.89.3667 | Fax (+49) 7021.89.3682
www.xcellsis.com
Contact:
Bernhard Wenninger, (+49) 7021.89.3667
David McLeod, (+1) 604.418.6439
Wolfgang Scheunemann (DaimlerChrysler),
(+49) 711.17.93307
ddb fuel cell engines GmbH now called XCELLSIS
Kirchheim/Teck-Nabern - After February 17, 2000
the dbb fuel cell engines GmbH seated at
Kirchheim/Teck-Nabern will sign with the firm
name "XCELLSIS GmbH, The Fuel Cell Engine Company".
"We are a young company working for the development
and the production of fuel cell drives for mobile
application purposes", says Prof. Ferdinand Panik,
president of the managing board of XCELLSIS.
"We are aiming at becoming the world's leading
supplier of fuel cell systems for cars, utility
vehicles, and busses in the now developing market.
The new name will support our efforts."
In 1997 XCELLSIS was established under the name
"dbb fuel cell engines GmbH" by at that time
Daimler-Benz AG and Ballard Power Systems Inc.,
Vancouver (Canada). Today DaimlerChrysler AG holds
a 51,5 % interest, Ballard Power Systems Inc 26,7 %,
and Ford Motor Corp. 21,8 % in the company.
This participation structure will remain unchanged.
The company with its head office in Germany (Nabern
near Stuttgart) is also represented in Canada
(Burnaby, British Columbia) and the United States
(San Diego, California) and has more than 500
employees now. 400 valuable jobs were created during
the past three years. At present, XCELLSIS has six
local transport busses running in public in Chicago
(USA) and Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada).
These busses covered already over 100 000 kilometers.
A new prototype, nearly ready for serial production,
(so-called P4 engine) will start test runs in
California in the second quarter of this year.
In addition, the company developed the drives of
NECAR 3 and NECAR 4 (DaimlerChrysler)
and P2000 (Ford).
Fuel cell drives work with a high degree of
efficiency. If driven with hydrogen they are
completely emission-free and produce no carbon
dioxide. And they are especially suited for
alternative fuels (such as methanol) which offers
the chance to reduce the dependency on mineral oil.
"XCELLSIS will make the fuel cell technology in
mobile applications ready for serial production.
Accordingly - in compliance with the messages of the
parent companies - "the power to change the world"
(Ballard Power Systems), in a "green vehicle" (Ford)
will "secure the sustainability of mobility"
(DaimlerChrysler)", continues Prof. Panik.
"Only few megatrends exist that are of special
importance to the future of the automotive industry.
Sustainable mobility is one of them, and fuel cells
are a key technology for it", affirms
Prof. Klaus-Dieter Voehringer, President of the
Shareholder Committee of XCELLSIS and President
of Research and Technology of DaimlerChrysler. |
