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

Canada's largest city, incidentally, includes a "Hydrogen Village", featuring two refueling stations which could

"At the present time we are concentrating this particular test in the Vancouver area," commented John Marrone, Director General for Canada Energy Technology Centre in Ottawa. "Since they (Toronto) have the infrastructure, that could be the next place test. But the big limiting factor is the availability of such vehicles." (Photo: Gerry Frechette, Canadian Auto Press)

support the vehicles if needed. When asked about the potential of these stations and cold weather testing, Marrone responded, "It (Toronto) could be, potentially. Since they have the infrastructure, that could be the next place test. But the big limiting factor is the availability of such vehicles. Ford just made thirty of them, we got the first five. That's all we could afford, actually," he laughed.

In total, $9 million has been allocated for the program, divided up between the Government of Canada, Ford Motor Company/Ford of Canada, Fuel Cells Canada and the Government of British Columbia.

And how does the BC provincial government fit in to the project? "My ministry is responsible for the alternative energy programs that are happening in the province of British Columbia," stated the Honourable Richard Neufeld, British Columbia's Minister for Energies and

"This groundbreaking project brings us one step closer to making fuel-cell technology viable as a global energy and transportation alternative," said Gerhard Schmidt, Vice-President, Research and Advanced Engineering, Ford Motor Company. (Photo: Gerry Frechette, Canadian Auto Press)

Mines; ".... that's in this type of technology (FCV), hybrid, all kinds of technology around power generation and alternative energy, so my ministry will be closely aligned with this. We contributed, a year ago, $300,000 and then another $2 million to Fuel Cells Canada, to actually help them along the road with this. We see it as a huge economic driver in the province of British Columbia, but on top of that, clean air, a clean environment, those kinds of things; looking at how we deal with greenhouse gases in the future and how we move that forward. We have an opportunity in British Columbia to deliver a sell up technology, to move that technology around the world. That's what we want to do, and Vancouver is the hub for that."