Ford Delivers First Fuel Cell Cars to Vancouver Fuel Cell Vehicle Program

Program Could Result in Hydrogen Highway from Vancouver to California

Ford and the Government of Canada, along with various provincial and municipal government departments, are trying to

Ford Motor Company delivered five Ford Focus Fuel Cell Vehicles (FCVs) to the Vancouver Fuel Cell Vehicle Program (VFCVP) for real-use testing. (Photo: Gerry Frechette, Canadian Auto Press)

turn the dream of clean, fuel efficient transportation into reality.

The latest indication of this initiative was seen Thursday, March 31, the day prior to the opening of the Pacific International Auto Show in Vancouver, when Ford Motor Company delivered five Ford Focus Fuel Cell Vehicles (FCVs) to the Vancouver Fuel Cell Vehicle Program (VFCVP) for real-use testing.

While the event is important to Canada, it's also significant on a global perspective, being that the five vehicles Ford

The five vehicles Ford delivered were the first "customer-ready" FCVs to ever be made available sporting blue oval badges. (Photo: Gerry Frechette, Canadian Auto Press)

delivered were the first "customer-ready" FCVs to ever be made available sporting blue oval badges. The Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker plans to place another twenty-five FCVs in fleets throughout the U.S. and Germany by the end of the year.

Toronto could potentially be considered for cold-weather testing the Focus FCV, according to John Marrone, Director General for Canada Energy Technology Centre in Ottawa. "At the present time we are concentrating this particular test in the Vancouver area. There are many reasons for that, but a lot of it is infrastructure. You need to have the infrastructure to maintain and supply the vehicles."