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| Ford Motor Co. research vice president Bill Powers explained details of Ford's hydrogen gas station and of the fuel cell-powered P2000 prototype during the press conference in 1999. (Photo: Ford Motor) |
BMW has been touring the world in a troop of dual fuel gasoline/liquid hydrogen powered 7 Series and Minis sporting obviously modified versions of traditional combustion engines, showing first hand how well the technology works, while GM's HydroGen3 fuel cell vehicle was reported on March 10th to be the first to drive on the streets of Japan using liquid hydrogen as its fuel.
Ford has also made news for its liquid hydrogen powered new Model U concept, among others, and would make a good partner for this initiative. The blue oval brand, that has been working on gaseous and liquid hydrogen refueling systems since before 1999 when it announced its Dearborn, MI "Bill's Hydrogen Gas Station" after Bill Powers, Ford Motor Co.'s vice president for research.
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| DaimlerChrysler's NECAR 4 will be fuelled at Munich Airport's Robotics Hydrogen Filling Station. (Photo: DaimlerChrysler) |
DaimlerChrysler's Necar4 fuel cell vehicle also uses liquid hydrogen, and is currently filled at the Munich Airport's Robotics Hydrogen Filling Station. Of course, DaimlerChrysler and Ford aren't the only carmakers to invest in the hydrogen economy, thus both GM and BMW fully expect others will want to share the costs in the development of a technology that is due to become standardized in one form or another anyway, and save not only through economies of scale but through targeting research and development funds towards something that won't have the possibility of immediate redundancy.