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First Fuel-cell Cars in Canada Hit B.C. Streets
VANCOUVER — Five fuel-cell cars powered by hydrogen instead of gasoline were delivered by Dr. Gerhard Schmidt, Vice-President, Research and Advanced Engineering, Ford Motor Company, and Joe Hinrichs, President and CEO of Ford of Canada, to the Vancouver Fuel Cell Vehicle Program (VFCVP) today, moving Canada closer to a cleaner-energy future.
Ford of Canada handed five sets of keys to the Government of Canada, launching this first-of-its-kind demonstration program, which encompasses three years of a five-year initiative.
“Using hydrogen and fuel-cell technologies is a key part of bringing down greenhouse gas emissions and addressing climate change. I’m proud that the Government of Canada is part of projects such as this and that we’ve supported these innovative technologies for nearly two decades,” said the Honourable R. John Efford, Minister of Natural Resources Canada. “By working together, we can make sure Canada continues to be known as a world leader in putting these technologies on the road.” The Government of Canada has invested $4.5 million in this project.
The partners in this program — the Government of Canada, Ford Motor Company/Ford of Canada, Fuel Cells Canada and the Government of British Columbia — will collaborate on this five-year, $9-million program.
BC Hydro, B.C. Transit, Ballard Power Systems, the City of Vancouver, Fuel Cells Canada, the National Research Council (NRC), Natural Resources Canada and the Government of British Columbia will use the state-of-the-art Ford Focus Fuel Cell Vehicles (FCVs) in real daily driving conditions as part of a three-year hydrogen fuel technology demonstration program.
The Government of British Columbia strongly supports the VFCVP program as part of its commitment to promoting clean and renewable alternative energy sources and assisting in the growth of B.C.’s technology industries. This is one of a number of hydrogen-related programs targeted for implementation before the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver and Whistler.
“This project highlights British Columbia’s leadership in the development of hydrogen and fuel-cell technologies, and builds on our commitment to have the world’s first hydrogen highway developed in time for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” said the Honourable Richard Neufeld, British Columbia’s Minister of Energy and Mines. “B.C.’s 2002 Energy Plan lays out a path for future energy use and production, with a key focus on alternative energy, including hydrogen fuel cells, which will ensure environmental sustainability — one of our key goals for the next decade.”
The VFCVP is managed by Fuel Cells Canada (FCC), which is headquartered at the NRC Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation, where the VFCVP vehicles will be maintained and refuelled.
“We applaud the Canadian and international stakeholders supporting the Vancouver Fuel Cell Vehicle Program. Together, they are accelerating the development of hydrogen and fuel-cell technologies for transportation applications,” said Chris Curtis, Interim President of Fuel Cells Canada. “Ford’s decision to evaluate its latest fuel-cell vehicles in Vancouver recognizes Canada’s and British Columbia’s global leadership in this arena.”
“This groundbreaking project brings us one step closer to making fuel-cell technology viable as a global energy and transportation alternative,” said Dr. Schmidt. “While there’s still much work and collaboration needed to realize a broad-based hydrogen economy, Ford is pleased to be an enabling partner in this pioneering initiative. Demonstration vehicles like these help to expand our future energy and transportation horizons, and support Ford Motor Company’s mission to help create a better world.”
“This is what we like to call the ‘green’ behind the Ford blue oval. Given the proven leadership of the Canadian fuel-cell and hydrogen industries, it’s fitting that the innovative Focus Fuel Cell Vehicle be put to the test right here in Vancouver,” Hinrichs said.
The Ford Focus FCV is a third-generation hybrid-electric vehicle that uses the Canadian-made Ballard Mark 902 series fuel-cell engine and Dynetek 5,000-psi (pounds per square inch) compressed-hydrogen storage tanks. The performance of each car will be carefully monitored over the next three years, providing critical data for the continued development of fuel-cell technology.
The Government of Canada’s approach to climate change is focused on making the right choices for Canada. This will ensure that the actions taken today produce long-term and enduring results while maintaining a strong and growing economy. Programs such as the VFCVP showcase Canada’s leadership in environmental transportation options and sustainable transportation such as fuel-cell technology.
For more information, media may contact:
- Ghyslain Charron
- Media Relations
- Natural Resources Canada
- Ottawa
- (613) 992-4447
- Tom Ormsby
- Director of Communications
- Office of the Minister
- Natural Resources Canada
- Ottawa
- (613) 996-2007
- Bruce Rothwell
- Program Manager, VFCVP
- Fuel Cells Canada
- (604) 827-5747
- Christine Hollander
- Public Affairs Manager
- Ford of Canada
- (514) 893-2607
- Tamara Little
- Communications Director
- Ministry of Energy and Mines
- Province of British Columbia
- (250) 952-0621
- Media Relations
BACKGROUNDER
Vancouver Fuel Cell Vehicle Program Partners
Ford Motor Company/Ford of Canada
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive-industry leader based in Dearborn, Michigan, manufactures and distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With more than 318,000 employees worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Aston Martin, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury and Volvo. Its automotive-related services include Ford Credit, Quality Care and Hertz.
The Vancouver Fuel Cell Vehicle Program (VFCVP) is one of a number of Ford Motor Company programs creating a better world through innovation, technical excellence and alternative-fuel vehicle development.
Ford of Canada’s operations include a national headquarters, six regional offices, five vehicle-assembly and engine-manufacturing plants, two parts-distribution centres, and affiliates including Ford Credit, Jaguar, Volvo, Land Rover and Hertz. Ford employs about 14,000 people in Canada, while an additional 19,000 people work in the more than 470 Ford and Ford-Lincoln dealerships across the country. Since 1990, Ford has invested more than $10 billion in its Canadian operations.
For more information, please visit www.ford.ca or www.media.ford.com.
Government of Canada
For more than 15 years, the Government of Canada has supported the development of hydrogen and fuel-cell technologies, investing more than $200 million over this period.
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) is the Government of Canada’s lead department for the VFCVP. NRCan coordinates the funding for the program through the Canadian Transportation Fuel Cell Alliance (CTFCA) and its Hydrogen Research and Development Program.
Technology Early Action Measures (TEAM) is an interdepartmental technology-investment program, initially established under the Government of Canada’s Climate Change Action Plan. TEAM helped develop the VFCVP and provides financial support to the project.
National Research Council Canada’s Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation (NRC-IFCI) is serving as the home-base garage and hydrogen-refuelling facility for the VFCVP. In addition, NRC is dedicating staff who will provide technical assistance and is making available its new Hydrogen Technology Environmental Chamber for climate-related experiments.
Government of British Columbia
The Government of British Columbia is supporting the program as part of its commitment to promoting clean and renewable alternative energy sources and to assisting in the growth of B.C.’s technology industries. This initiative, along with a number of other environmental programs throughout the province, will be fully advanced and showcased at the upcoming 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
Fuel Cells Canada
The role of Fuel Cells Canada (FCC) in the VFCVP is to manage the deployment of the fuel-cell vehicles over the life of the program. It will select users, provide maintenance facilities, document local codes and standards issues, and more.
FCC is a non-profit national industry association. It works closely with industry, government and academia to accelerate the development of Canada’s world-leading fuel-cell and hydrogen industry. It also provides services and support to Canadian corporations, educational institutions and business alliances that promote, develop, demonstrate and deploy fuel-cell and related products and services in Canada. In addition to managing the VFCVP, FCC also manages other demonstration projects, such as B.C.’s Hydrogen Highway and Ontario’s Hydrogen Village.
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