Repost of recent news. I just found the reason why 2 companies weren't named to be interesting. Any guesses? Who's left out there? BMW might well be embarrassed to be named as they have always dismissed fuel cells in favor of IC engines. Could the other be Toyota? I doubt it but it sure would be interesting. Most other auto companies have already been identified as having purchased Ballard fuel cells.
Ballard has $4.5-million in
fuel cell orders
STEVE MERTL
VANCOUVER (CP) - Ballard Power Systems said Friday
it has received orders totalling $4.5 million for hydrogen
fuel-cell stacks as development of fuel-cell cars accelerates.
The orders to the suburban Burnaby company come through
its a affiliate dbb fuel cell engines inc., which is responsible
for developing and manufacturing fuel-cell systems to be
used in vehicles.
The company is jointly owned by Ballard and its major
partners, Ford Motor Co. and DaimlerChrysler.
Ballard has supplied fuel sells to other automakers, including
General Motors, Honda, Nissan and Volkswagen. But
chairman Firoz Rasul would not say whom the latest orders
were destined for.
"They've indicated that at this stage for competitive reasons
they would rather not disclose to their competition that
they're working on these things," he said.
Rasul also would not reveal the number of fuel-cell stacks
ordered because it could provide pricing information to
competitors.
The pace of fuel-cell vehicle development is picking up as
manufacturers commit to introducing commercially viable
production models within the next four to six years, said
Rasul.
A total of 10 automakers showed fuel-cell vehicles at the
recent Frankfurt and Tokyo auto shows, seven of which
used Ballard fuel-cell stacks, he said.
"Certainly there was a clear demonstration how fast the
industry is moving towards fuel cells," said Rasul.
A key deadline is also looming in 2003, when California
clean-air legislation mandates that 10 per cent of the state's
vehicle fleet must have no polluting emissions.
"People are now getting ready to build both prototype and
field-trial vehicles so they can gain enough experience to be
ready to put a car on the road in time for those regulations,"
said Rasul.
Six manufacturers have stated they will have fuel-cell cars on
the road between 2003 and 2005, he said.
The fuel-cell stacks, the heart of the system that process the
produces electricity from hydrogen and air without pollution,
will be delivered in early 2000, said Rasul.
The units will be manufactured on Ballard's pilot production
line in its Burnaby complex.
Ballard's adjacent main production facility will be running by
the second half of next year, Rasul said.
Ballard recently reported a third-quarter loss of $22.2
million, more than double last year's shortfall.
The loss was due to increased spending on research and
development, as well as higher general and administrative
spending related to Ballard's growth, the company said.
Ballard shares closed up 40 cents at $38.40 on Friday on
the Toronto Stock Exchange.
© The Canadian Press, 1999 |
