The Canadian division of Ford Motor Co. (Dearborn, MI) announced that it will put four hydrogen-powered, sub-compact, Focus fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) on the roads of Vancouver this year in a real-world test of fuel cell technology. Vancouver was chosen for the long-term test because fuel cell pioneer Ballard Power Systems Inc. (Vancouver, BC, Canada), in which Ford has an ownership stake, is based there.
This is the first such long-term test for fuel cell vehicles, although manufacturers have prototypes running for short periods of time in North America and Europe. The fleet of cars, which will run on a combination of Ballard fuel cells and batteries, would be tested for a couple of years. At least one FCV will go to the City of Vancouver. The vehicles are part of a three-year project in collaboration with Natural Resources Canada and Fuel Cells Canada, a government-industry partnership.
