Fuel for Thought

Three Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) on three different continents have signed a three-way agreement to accelerate the commercialization of Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) technology. The aim is to launch affordable, mass-market FCEVs by 2017. Each company will invest equally in the project in order to maximize design commonality, leverage volume, and derive efficiencies through economies of scale. To accomplish this, the partners plan to develop a common fuel cell stock and system that can be used by each company to launch differentiated and separately branded FCEVs. This has signaled suppliers, policy makers, and the industry to encourage further development of hydrogen refueling stations and other infrastructure so the vehicles can be marketed. However, fuel cells have two problems that have blighted car sales: buyers are wary without a refueling network in place while infrastructure investors are waiting for widespread acceptance. The three companies, convinced that fuel cell vehicles will play a central role in achieving zero-emission cars in the future, will continue to work on both the fuel cell stack and the fuel cell system jointly. The trio also hopes that the unique collaboration across three continents will help define the global specifications and component standards that are an important prerequisite for achieving higher economies of scale.