Tuesday April 20, 7:00 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: Ford Motor Company
Ford to Deliver Family Fuel Cell Cars to California
for On-Road Testing
"At Ford Motor Company, it's not enough to deliver excellent products. Ford has to deliver
excellent products that customers want to use and that have the least impact on the environment.
We believe fuel cells offer great promise and Ford intends to lead the way in delivering on that
promise for the next generation family vehicle."
Bill Ford Chairman, Ford Motor Company
SACRAMENTO, Calif., April 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F - news) will help spearhead the first
demonstration program in the world to place hydrogen fuel cell-powered passenger cars on the road for long-term testing.
Other members of the project include Ballard Power Systems and DaimlerChrysler, Ford's partners in a unique fuel cell
alliance, along with ARCO, Shell, Texaco, the California Air Resources Board and the California Energy Commission.
The ''California Fuel Cell Partnership - Driving for the Future'' was formally introduced by California Governor Gray Davis
during a ceremony at the state capitol building. The partnership will test the technology and market readiness for fuel cell
vehicles, along with researching infrastructure issues. The program will place about 45 fuel cell powered cars and buses on
California roads between 2000 and 2003.
Ford will deliver five fuel cell cars to California in 2000 and 2001, which will be based on the company's P2000 research
program. The first P2000 driveable fuel cell car was debuted in January 1999 at the North American International Auto Show
in Detroit and was driven in Sacramento today.
The P2000 fuel cell car is a direct hydrogen-fueled, zero-emission electric vehicle that is based on Ford's advanced lightweight
research vehicle platform. It is a roomy family sedan that offers the same interior space as today's Ford Taurus while weighing
less than 3200 pounds. The P2000's fuel cell system delivers 100 horsepower and goes from 0 to 60 in 12 seconds.
Ford fuel cell vehicles in the later phase of the California project in 2002 and 2003 are likely to be fueled by on-board
reformers. Today methanol is the leading fuel candidate for those vehicles, although Ford is involved in developing both
methanol and gasoline fuel cell reformers.
''Our future depends on our ability to provide environmentally advanced vehicles at affordable prices without sacrificing utility
and other customer needs,'' said Ford. ''Ford's goal is to get the technology into customer hands -- high volume applications
that car and truck buyers can afford.''
The California Fuel Cell Partnership will address the largest issues facing fuel cell vehicle development, including fuel selection
and infrastructure, and cost challenges. This is the first time that automakers and fuel suppliers are joining together to
demonstrate fuel cell vehicles under real day-to-day driving conditions.
Fuel cells are energy conversion devices that generate electricity by combining hydrogen and oxygen without combustion.
Hydrogen, which can be stored on-board in gaseous or liquid form, is electrochemically combined with oxygen from the air to
produce electricity. The only emission from the fuel cell stack is water vapor.
Ford's P2000 program also includes vehicles powered by an all-aluminum lightweight direct-injection engine and hybrid electric
systems. The P2000 program is associated with Ford's participation in the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles. The
Canadian government also supports fuel cell research.
SOURCE: Ford Motor Company |
