Ballard's Mark 900 Powers Th!nk FC5

Ballard Power Systems (Vancouver) recently announced that Ford Motor Company (Dearborn, MI) presented a new prototype vehicle powered by Ballard's next generation fuel cell, the Mark 900, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.The Th!nk FC5 is a family size sedan powered by a fuel cell system which was manufactured by Ballard, DaimlerChrysler (Auburn Hills, MI) and Ford affiliate dbb fuel cell engines inc. (dbb). The fuel cell system comprises Ballard's Mark 900 module and dbb's latest generation methanol reformer. The electric motor was manufactured by Ecostar Electric Drive Systems (Dearborn, MI), another Ballard, DaimlerChrysler and Ford affiliate company.According to Ballard, the Mark 900 module utilizes a single integrated fuel cell stack. This replaces the two or three distinct Mark 700 stacks used in various automotive prototypes currently powered by Ballard fuel cells, including DaimlerChrysler's Necar 4, Ford's P2000, Honda's FCX V1 and Nissan's FCV."Ford's FC5 is the first prototype vehicle to be shown using the Ballard Mark 900 Series Fuel Cell Power Module," said Firoz Rasul, Ballard's chairman and CEO. "The integration of the fuel cell module into a methanol-fuelled vehicle without compromising passenger or cargo space reflects dbb's advancements in methanol reforming technology and Ballard's significant progress in reducing the size and weight of the fuel cell stack."