Automotive Market

Demonstration Programs

Ballard has participated in demonstration programs around the world to showcase fuel cell technology.

Ballard manufactures fuel cells for AFCC Automotive Fuel Cell Cooperation Corp., a private company owned by Daimler AG, Ford Motor Company and Ballard.  These fuel cells are used in Daimler and Ford test and demonstration vehicles.

California Fuel Cell Partnership
The California Fuel Cell Partnership is a collaboration of 31 organizations that believe fuel cell vehicles powered by hydrogen have the potential to change the future of transportation. Since 2000, members have placed 170 light duty vehicles in California and traveled more than 900,000 miles on California’s roads and highways. Ballard has historically been involved directly in the research & development, design and manufacture of fuel cells for use in Daimler AG and Ford test and demonstration vehicles – most recently in Daimler’s F-Cell vehicle and Ford’s EDGE vehicle.

Daimler AG F-Cell Fuel Cell Vehicle Demonstration Program
To date, Daimler AG has placed 60 light-duty Mercedes-Benz A-Class fleet vehicles on the road in Germany, Japan, Singapore and the United States. In the U.S., UPS is delivering packages with its fleet of fuel cell Sprinter vans, powered by Ballard’s fuel cell technology. More than 100 fuel cell vehicles from Daimler AG are in operation all over the world – more vehicles than any other automaker.

U.S. Department of Energy National Hydrogen Learning Demonstration Program
In April 2004, DOE selected teams to participate in "learning demonstrations" that include testing, demonstrating, and validating hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and infrastructure and vehicle and infrastructure interfaces for complete system solutions. Teams are led by automobile manufacturers or energy companies and are made up of hydrogen suppliers, fuel cell suppliers, utility or gas companies, fleet operators, system and component suppliers, small businesses, universities and government entities. Ballard’s fuel cell products power vehicles on teams lead by Daimler AG and Ford Motor Company. These demonstrations will assess the research program's progress toward meeting the goal of achieving a technology readiness milestone by 2015.

Vancouver Fuel Cell Vehicle Program (VFCVP)
The VFCVP is a five-year, CDN$9 million joint initiative between Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Canada, Ford Motor Company, the Government of Canada and the Government of British Columbia. This project is focused on testing five Ballard-powered Ford Focus fuel cell vehicles in real world conditions in British Columbia's lower mainland area, and is the first fleet demonstration of fuel cell vehicles in Canada. The program provides valuable information on performance, durability and reliability that will be applied toward the commercial evolution of fuel cell vehicles through the transition to a hydrogen economy. Vehicle users include BC Hydro, City of Vancouver, BC Transit, Government of BC, Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Canada and the NRC.