Ballard Power Systems of Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, has developed fuel cell assemblies that generate 25 kilowatts of power (three of these can power a sedan) and run at 85 degrees Celsius. Ballard has investment and research contracts with major automakers totaling more than US$1 billion. Ballard has teamed up with the subsidiary of a New Jersey electric company to commercialize stationary fuel cell cogeneration units.

The California Fuel Cell Partnership -- a collaboration of auto manufacturers, oil companies, a fuel cell company, and the State of California -- plans to put 50 fuel cell passenger cars and buses on the road between 2000 and 2003. The Partnership also plans to build two hydrogen fueling stations in California.

The US government owns and operates 30 fuel cell cogeneration units, the world's largest fleet of fuel cells. Among five cabinet-level departments which invest more than $100 million per year in fuel cell research and demonstration programs, the US Department of Energy spends the most, about $80 million. The governments of Canada, Japan and Germany are promoting fuel cell development with tax credits, low-interest loans and grants.

DaimlerChrysler (formerly Daimler-Benz) has been road testing a fuel cell vehicle, the NECAR (for New Electric Car), since 1993. Using a variety of fuels, the company has already unveiled four generations of the vehicles, the latest being a hydrogen fuel cell passenger vehicle based on the company's A-class car.

The cities of Chicago, Vancouver, and Oslo are conducting field trials of transit buses run on fuel cells. Alkaline fuel cell powered taxis are being tested on the streets of London.

NASA Space Shuttles use alkaline fuel cells to generate approximately 45 kilowatts of power. These particular cells are very expensive.

A 10-kilowatt fuel cell powered vending machine was developed by Toshiba. It runs on liquefied petroleum gas.

Researchers at Northwestern University in Illinois developed an experimental fuel cell that runs directly on natural gas.

Scientists at Kogakuin University in Tokyo have developed a liquid fuel, reportedly consisting of metals and hydrogen, that can supply hydrogen to fuel cells without the use of a fuel reformer.

Two companies, FuelCell Energy (formerly Energy Research Corporation) and Bath Iron Works, have partnered to develop a fuel cell power plant for defense marine applications.

Sources: Fuel Cells 2000 website, http://www.fuelcells.org, viewed September 15, 1999; California Fuel Cell Partnership website, http://www.drivingthefuture.org, viewed September 15, 1999; Fuel Cells 2000 press release, March 17, 1999; Fuels Cell Technology Update, Fuel Cells 2000, September 1999, http://www.fuelcells.org; Robert F. Service, "Bringing Fuel Cells Down to Earth," Science, Vol. 285, No. 5427, July 30, 1999, p. 684.

Also available on this website:

Sustainable Technology Profile: Fuel Cells
Types of Fuel Cells
Comparison of Electric Vehicles, Hybrids, and Fuel Cells
Emissions from Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles and Battery-Powered Electric Vehicles Versus Conventional Vehicles
Internet Resources on Fuel Cells