General Motors Corp. (GM, Detroit, MI) and Toyota Motor Corp. (TMC, Japan) have announced specific progress on their multi-year technology agreement. This progress, which includes identification of specific fuels for fuel cell vehicles (FCVs), was achieved through separate research agreements and significant technological collaboration with ExxonMobil Corp. (Irving, TX).
GM and TMC reported that they have reached an agreement regarding fuels for FCVs, with hydrogen in the long term, and a clean hydrocarbon fuel in the short- to medium-term. They also agreed to consider natural gas in conjunction with a clean hydrocarbon fuel in Japan. GM and TMC further stated that they are actively testing fuel cell technologies developed by both companies individually and through the collaboration. They plan to share test results and ultimately select the best ideas from those collectively pooled. Lastly, the two companies reaffirmed that they support global and regional efforts toward the development of sustainable transportation initiatives.
Larry Burns, GM's vice president of research, development and planning, commented, “In many ways, ideas are more valuable in the early stages of R&D than racing into production. To date, our companies have spent the majority of our time exchanging knowledge of technologies, sharing components and parts, and jointly evaluating fuel cell propulsion system design approaches. For an advanced technology collaboration, this pace is very aggressive."
