Ballard Power Systems has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and fuel cell supply agreement with Shanghai Fuel Cell Vehicle Powertrain Co., Ltd. (Powertrain) to cooperate on the development of fuel cell vehicles for demonstration and field trial programs planned in China in 2006 and 2007.
Under the terms of the agreements, Ballard will supply fuel cells and related services and Powertrain will integrate those fuel cells into vehicles.
As a first step in the relationship, Ballard and Powertrain have signed an agreement for the supply by Ballard to Powertrain of up to 20 Mark 902 automotive fuel cells. Ballard will ship two Mark 902 automotive fuel cells to Powertrain for integration into vehicles later this year. Ballard will also provide related applications engineering and field service support. Upon successful integration of the fuel cells into vehicles, Powertrain will purchase up to an additional 18 Mark 902 fuel cells for the program in 2007.
“We believe China could be a key market driving the commercialization of automotive fuel cell technology, and, as such, we are very pleased to announce this next step in our ongoing activities in China,” said Noordin Nanji, Ballard’s Vice President and Chief Customer Officer.
The Shanghai Municipal Government recently announced funding for a program that will demonstrate 100 fuel cell vehicles on the road by the end of 2007. The 100 vehicles are the first phase of an announced program that will see 1,000 vehicles on the road by 2009-2010, and 10,000 by 2011-2012.
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