A group of manufacturers and energy companies are joining the US Department of Energy (DOE, Washington, DC) in developing fuel cell vehicles in a multimillion-dollar partnership. Several "learning demonstration teams" include General Motors Corp., DaimlerChrysler AG, Ford Motor Co. and Hyundai Motor Corp., as well as ChevronTexaco, BP and Shell, and fuel cell developer Ballard Power Systems Inc. The manufacturers are expected to share at least half of the project funding, estimated at about $380 million.
"If our research program is successful, it is not unreasonable to think that we could be approaching commercialization and mass marketing of these kinds of vehicles in maybe 15 years," stated US Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman.
