VANCOUVER,
CANADA –
Ballard Power Systems (NASDAQ: BLDP; TSX: BLDP) today announced that it has
signed a contract with CALSTART (www.calstart.org) for a Ballard 30
kilowatt (kW) FCveloCity®-MD fuel cell module to be used in a trial
and development program involving UPS Class-6 delivery vans operating in
California’s South Coast Air Basin, including much of the Greater Los Angeles
area. Funding for the project is being provided by the South Coast Air Quality
Management District (SCAQMD) as part of its efforts to reduce harmful air
pollution.
"SCAQMD’s technology
advancement programs have helped to ensure wide-scale deployment of low- and
zero-emission heavy duty on-road technologies, including all classes of trucks
and buses, to clean the air in the South Coast basin,” said Wayne Nastri,
SCAQMD’s executive officer. “Greater deployment of fuel cell vehicles is
expected to provide a reduction of pollutants, especially in disadvantaged
communities that are disproportionately exposed to harmful diesel emissions.”
The range of current
battery-powered Class-6 UPS delivery vans is only sufficient for a limited
percentage of routes, and often not for the majority of routes in any delivery
area. This percentage can be further reduced if the delivery locations face
unexpected heavier loads, hilly terrain or colder temperatures. A
range-extension solution using Ballard’s fuel cell range extender system can
address these limitations by boosting drive range and providing certainty of
completing daily delivery missions while maintaining zero-emission performance.
CALSTART’s primary goal for
this project is to demonstrate the business case and technical feasibility of deploying
fuel cell hybrid electric Class-6 vehicles with greater range capability such
that UPS chooses to deploy up to 1,500 similar vehicles in its California fleet
over the next 5-years – representing a significant percentage of UPS’s 8,000
California delivery vans – while also demonstrating the economic and technical
potential of this technology to other operators of the states’ approximately
650,000 Class 4-to-7 vehicles.
“We
are delighted to work with CALSTART to demonstrate the strong fit for our fuel
cell module as a range extender in a UPS delivery van,” said Rob Campbell,
Ballard Chief Commercial Officer. “Particularly those UPS vehicles requiring
longer range and operating for more hours during each day – in other words,
delivery vans with high utilization rates – will benefit from a hybrid solution
using Ballard’s FCveloCity®-MD module. We also see rapid hydrogen
refueling as a better alternative approach to long battery recharging times.”
John Boesel, President and CEO of CALSTART added, “We are
very appreciative of the funding provided by the South Coast Air Quality
Management District to develop, deploy, and test a new competitive zero-emission
powertrain for the delivery truck market. Using a fuel cell as a range extender
would enable an operator to cover almost all routes without any range anxiety.”
The program with UPS will use a 23,000 lb. Class-6 delivery
van capable of speeds up to 65 miles per hour. The UPS van will be equipped with
a 71kWh lithium ion battery and a 30kW Ballard fuel cell engine. Viewed as a
replacement for an older diesel delivery van, this zero-emission configuration
will deliver a net 24 metric ton reduction in greenhouse gases (GHGs) together
with a 0.02 ton reduction in criteria pollutant emissions on an annual basis.
CALSTART is a member-supported organization of more than 180
firms, fleets and agencies worldwide dedicated to supporting a growing
high-tech, clean transportation industry that cleans the air, creates jobs,
cuts imported oil and reduces global warming emissions. CALSTART provides
services and consulting to spur advanced transportation technologies, fuels,
systems and the companies that make them.
Partners for this program include South Coast Air Quality
Management District, UPS, Complete Coach Works (CCW) and Unique Electric
Solutions (UES).
About Ballard Power Systems
Ballard Power Systems (NASDAQ: BLDP; TSX: BLDP) provides clean energy products that reduce
customer costs and risks, and helps customers solve difficult technical and
business challenges in their fuel cell programs. To learn more about Ballard,
please visit www.ballard.com.
This release contains
forward-looking statements concerning anticipated development results and
impacts on our products. These forward-looking statements reflect Ballard’s
current expectations as contemplated under section 27A of the Securities Act of
1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended. Any such forward-looking statements are based on Ballard’s assumptions
relating to its financial forecasts and expectations regarding its product
development efforts, manufacturing capacity, and market demand.
These statements involve
risks and uncertainties that may cause Ballard’s actual results to be
materially different, including general economic and regulatory changes,
detrimental reliance on third parties, successfully achieving our business
plans and achieving and sustaining profitability. For a detailed discussion of
these and other risk factors that could affect Ballard’s future performance,
please refer to Ballard’s most recent Annual Information Form. Readers should
not place undue reliance on Ballard’s forward-looking statements and Ballard
assumes no obligation to update or release any
revisions to these forward looking statements, other than as required under
applicable legislation.