Ford, Roush, Ballard and the Ohio State University are collaborating to engineer and build a unique hydrogen-powered vehicle. It's called the Fusion Hydrogen 999, and it is to be a test bed where the partners can gather and evaluate vital real-life information about fuel cell technology.But the Hydrogen 999 is a race car -- its intentions considerably outside the scope of a traditionally-conceived hydrogen vehicle. Next month, Ford will bring the machine to the Bonneville Salt Flats and attempt to set a land speed record.
The car was designed by Ford engineers and fabricated by Roush. Power comes from a 770-horsepower electric motor designed by U of O students and powered by hydrogen, stored in cells produced by Ballard. Rick Byrnes, a veteran Bonneville racer and retired Ford employee, will pilot the Ford Fusion Hydrogen 999 car on its attempt. "Racing is part of Ford Motor Company's DNA, so it seemed only natural for us to build a fuel-cell race car that runs on hydrogen, a fuel that could someday play a key role in meeting the energy needs of the transportation sector," said Gerhard Schmidt, V.P. of Research & Advanced Engineering for Ford Motor Company. "Our goal in attempting this record is to further expand our technological horizons with fuel-cell-powered vehicles. The collaboration with Ohio State University also affords us an opportunity to work closely with a prestigious university, which provides out-of-the-box thinking from student engineers and helps us recruit talented young people to work at Ford Motor Company."
photo: Ford