Ford Delivers Five More Hybrid Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars

19 October 2005

Ford Motor Company is delivering five hybrid hydrogen Ford Focus Fuel Cell vehicles (earlier post) to two Michigan cities as part of a 30-vehicle test deployment. Taylor will get four vehicles and Ann Arbor will receive one.

A Ballard Power Systems hydrogen fuel cell provides the primary motive power, while a Sanyo nickel metal-hydride (NiMH) battery pack and a Continental Teves Electro-Hydraulic regenerative braking system provides the additional source of electric power. Continental Teves also supplies the regenerative braking system in the Escape Hybrid SUV.

As a result, the Focus FCV hybrid has up to double the driving range of the non-hybrid fuel-cell model: between 160 to 200 miles (320 km) versus 100 miles (160 km).

This year, Ford is delivering evaluation fleets of Focus FCVs for placement in demonstration programs in the United States, Canada, and Germany. This includes five vehicles now in use in Vancouver, British Columbia; five cars delivered to the Sacramento (Calif.) Municipal District; five cars delivered to the State of Florida; and the five delivered in Michigan today.