Mazda Announces 2008 Commercial H2 Car Launch Plans at Tokyo Motor Show TOKYO - Upstaging the lineup of gleaming new fuel cell prototypes and concepts at the Tokyo Motor Show, Mazda Motor Corp. last month announced plans to offer a hydrogen-powered internal combustion-engined hybrid minivan to the general public by 2008.
Fuel Cells Begin to Displace Older Technologies, Grove Attendees Are Told LONDON - Many experts have long predicted that fuel cells would soon become a commercial reality. Few, if any, however would likely have said that market reality would take the form of a silent-running submarine and a “smart tag” reader at a Wal-Mart warehouse.
Ballard CEO Dennis Campbell Steps Down, Search is on for New Leader VANCOUVER - Only about two and a half years after being named chief executive officer and president, Dennis Campbell unexpectedly left Ballard Power Systems, Inc., reportedly at the request of the company.
Ballard Continues as Fuel Cell Leader; SectorStruggles, No Profits, Survey Shows VANCOUVER - Turmoil in its top management notwithstanding (see p.4), Ballard Power Systems, Inc. remains the biggest player on the international fuel cell developer scene, according to the 2005 Fuel Cell Industry Survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC.
Briefly Noted: GM/Shanghai Automotive Clean Car Deal General Motors Corp. and China’s Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. (SAIC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding Oct. 29 in Shanghai to jointly explore prospects for Chinese production of energy efficient, environmentally clean vehicles such as passenger hybrids and hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles.
Briefly Noted: China/FutureGen Alliance As anticipated, China’s largest coal-fueled power company, the China Huaneng Group, has joined the recently established non-profit FutureGen Industrial Alliance.
Briefly Noted: StarTech/China Wilton, CT-headquartered Startech Environmental Corp., has named GlobalTech Environmental Inc., Hong Kong, as its exclusive distributor for the Peoples Republic of China.
Briefly Noted: DoE Biotech Projects The U.S. Energy Department has awarded $92 million for six biotechnology research projects for improved understanding of microbes and microbial communities that, among other things, lead to new, better methods of hydrogen and ethanol production.
Briefly Noted: Dutch Hydrogen Association The Dutch Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Association is the latest European group to join the European Hydrogen Association (EHA).
Briefly Noted: Polyfuel PolyFuel, Inc. says that its membrane for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) has passed the 5,000 hour mark in durability testing.
Briefly Noted: Toyota Industries Forklift Toyota Industries Corp. (TICO) has developed a hydrogen fuel cell hybrid fork lift truck, using the PEM fuel cell system its sister company, Toyota Motor Corp., has built for its passenger cars.
Briefly Noted: GTI/Texas Hydrogen Stations The Gas Technology Institute (GTI), Des Plaines, IL has signed an agreement with the State of Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TEQ) for the development of hydrogen fueling station technology.
Briefly Noted: Farmers Insurance/Alternative Fuel Vehicles The Los Angeles-based Farmers Insurance Group of Companies announced that beginning October 1, it offers insurance discounts to customers who own a hybrid or alternative-fueled vehicle, including hydrogen vehicles.
Briefly Noted: Medis Technologies New York-based Medis Technologies Ltd says it has signed contracts for the production and management of an automated assembly line capable of manufacturing up to 1.5 million units/month, or 45 assembled units/minute, of its fuel cell Power Pack products.
Briefly Noted: UTC Plant/SF Ritz Carlton In downtown San Francisco, the Ritz Carlton Hotel became the first hotel worldwide last month to install a UTC Power’s PureComfort (TM) phosphoric acid fuel cell (PAFC) power plant.
Briefly Noted: Canon Micro Fuel Cells Joining the growing number of Japanese companies rushing to develop portable fuel cells, Canon, Inc. in late October showed off three prototype hydrogen fuel cells of various sizes to eventually replace batteries for small mobile devices.
Briefly Noted: FSEC/Florida School Education Program St. Petersburg, FL-based Progress Energy Florida together with the Florida Solar Energy Center are launching a program in partnership with public schools to educate students about the possibilities of hydrogen as an alternative energy form.
Events The "12th Symposium for the Use of Regenerative Energy Sources and Hydrogen Technology" will be held Nov. 3-5 at the Stralsund University of Applied Sciences, Stralsund, Germany.
