A group of leading German carmakers and engineering firms announced plans to set up a five-year joint project to test hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and other cars powered by clean energy such as methanol and synthetic diesel. The project, bringing together DaimlerChrysler Corp. (Auburn Hills, MI), BMW AG (Frankfurt, Germany), Adam Opel AG, and Ford Motor Co.'s (Dearborn, MI) German research center, will set up a hydrogen refueling center in Berlin and a fleet of 30 cars to test the new technologies.
"We need the community of auto producers if we want to get new engines and fuel cells in the market," said DaimlerChrysler spokesman Wolfgang Scheunemann. "We need volume and scale otherwise the fuel companies will say, 'why should we set up a whole network of fuel stations for your three cars?'"
