Is a Hydrogen Economy Truly Around the Corner?
The automotive industry has long been one of the most competitive verticals in the business world, something that will no doubt continue for time immemorial. But recently new alliances have developed that previously would have seemed extremely unlikely.
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| The need for new technologies at the lowest possibly cost promotes new alliances, even in the highly competitive automotive industry. Ford is joining a government led initiative to develop a hydrogen infrastruce throughout the U.S. (Photo: Ford Motor Company of Canada) |
For instance, after a battle for domestic and now world dominance that has lasted nearly a century, Ford Motor Company and General Motors Corp. have joined forces to develop a new 6-speed automatic transmission (see the news on 12/4/2004: GM and Ford Develop 6-Speed Automatic Gearbox in Cooperation). Additional odd bedfellows included Japan's number one and two, Toyota and Nissan, the latter buying hybrid gasoline-electric technology from the former to be integrated into an upcoming HEV based on the Altima. The list of unlikely cooperative partners in recent years is almost as long as the list of premium brands owned by Ford or Volkswagen.
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| Toyota, Honda (shown) and Nissan, plan to assign 65 fuel cell vehicles to the United States Department of Energy demonstration. (Photo: Honda Canada) |
Only the former of these two global automakers is taking part in the United States Department of Energy (DOE), as part of its national "Controlled Hydrogen Fleet and Infrastructure Demonstration and Validation Project," a 5-year program to develop a hydrogen refueling infrastructure system in the United States.
Additional automakers involved in the project include Toyota, Honda and Nissan, which combined have plans to assign 65 fuel cell vehicles, and BMW that will offer up to 15 hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engine vehicles to the collective cause. DaimlerChrysler has offered to supply its fuel cell vehicles to fleets in certain U.S. markets, while Ford plans to deliver up to 30 hydrogen-powered vehicles to the project.