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Released: 17 June, 2002
Fuel-Cell Car Offers Zero Emissions And Increased Fuel Efficiency
OTTAWA — The car of the future will make a stopover in Ottawa today
as part of a Canada-wide tour. The prototype Ford Focus Fuel-Cell Vehicle
(FCV) is powered by a Ballard hydrogen fuel engine cell, resulting in
a car with zero emissions (when hydrogen is produced from renewable sources),
increased fuel efficiency and a quieter ride.
The tour is a collaboration between the Ford Motor Company of Canada,
Limited, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), Dynetek Industries Ltd. and
Ballard Power Systems. It began June 10 at the World Hydrogen Conference
in Montréal, and will continue on to Toronto, Oakville, Winnipeg
and Calgary before ending on July 2 in Vancouver.
"This is a visionary technology that could revolutionize the automobile
industry," said the Honourable Herb Dhaliwal, NRCan Minister. "We're
looking at a cleaner, more sustainable way to power cars — one that
already has a proven track record in city buses — to help reduce
carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to climate change."
"This is the prototype of the groundbreaking fuel-cell vehicle that
we will begin building in 2004," says John Wallace, executive director
of Ford's environmental TH!NK group. "This latest technology brings
us one step closer to making fuel-cell vehicles viable for consumers.
While it is still a long road to commercialization, our long-term goal
is to provide customers with the environmental benefits of a fuel cell
without compromising on today's performance and functionality."
The new Focus FCV is currently part of an experimental fleet, which will
help prove the technology as part of the California Fuel-Cell Partnership.
In all, five Focus FCVs will be produced this year for testing and demonstration,
leading up to low-volume customer production by 2004. The Ford Focus FCV,
based on the world's best-selling car, uses a fuel cell that converts
chemical energy into electrical energy using hydrogen and oxygen. The
electrical energy then powers the vehicle's electric-drive motor, producing
only water as an emission. Fuel-cell technology is projected to provide
up to two times the fuel economy of gasoline and diesel engines.
Innovative Canadian researchers and companies, such as Vancouver's Ballard
Power Systems Inc., are making fuel-cell technology a more affordable
and accessible option for mass production. The Focus's fuel-cell engine
is produced by Ballard, and it uses a compressed hydrogen storage system
developed by Calgary-based Dynetek Industries Ltd. NRCan has supported
these and other Canadian hydrogen fuel-cell technologies and companies
from their beginnings more than 15 years ago, helping make Canada a world
leader in this technology.
Dynetek will demonstrate refuelling at some events on the tour with its
78 kilogram-capacity Mobile Hydrogen Fuelling Station. Other tour partners
include Stuart Energy Systems of Toronto, which will supply and demonstrate
its prototype Personal Fuel Appliance and its portable fuelling station,
and Fuel Cells Canada, a non-profit, national industry association.
To view the Ford Focus FCV and learn more about fuel-cell technology,
visit http://www.thinkmobility.com/tech_vehicles.asp.
This initiative builds upon the Government of Canada's commitments to
supporting research and development and to ensuring a clean, healthy environment,
which are essential parts of our quality of life.
For more information, media may contact:
Heather Bala
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister
Natural Resources Canada
Ottawa
(613) 996-7252
Chris Banks
Product Information Manager
Public Affairs
Ford of Canada
(905) 845-2511, ext. 1337
cbanks@ford.com
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