BMW LONDON 

Germany wants Canadian fuel-cells

Vancouver’s Ballard Power Systems will be providing the storage solutions for Daimler’s hydrogen fleet, and Germany is not quite done with lining up Canadian suppliers.

Germany Trade & Invest is setting up an investor event in Vancouver to highlight business opportunities in Germany’s burgeoning fuel-cell industry, especially in growth regions such as those of the former East Germany. The country has already lined up some high-profile auto presences (BMW, General Motors, Ford, Honda, Toyota and Volkswagen, among many) through initiatives such as the Clean Energy Partnership.

Germany already features over 300 companies and 65 research institutes specializing in fuel cell technology as well as 70 percent of Europe’s fuel cell fleet.

“Germany’s fuel cell industry is on the verge of a major breakthrough. International companies and government initiatives have created the optimal conditions for companies to prosper, especially in Germany’s high-tech eastern regions,” said Dr. Juergen Friedrich, Chief Executive of Germany Trade & Invest in Berlin.

Daimler and Ballard have teamed up with Ford to create the Automotive Fuel Cell Cooperation (AFCC), which will make fuel-cells at Ballard’s Burnaby facility for cars like the Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-CELL and Citaro FuelCell Hybrid city bus.

Source: Autonet