FuelCellsWorks

Sacramento, Calif. — The California Fuel Cell Partnership marks the 10^th anniversary of this unique organization with a celebration at its West Sacramento headquarters. A caravan of vehicles on the Hydrogen Road Tour will arrive during the celebration, demonstrating the progress of the collaboration’s members during the decade.

CaFCP was formed in 1999 as a collaboration between two state agencies and six private sector companies with the goal of testing and promoting zero-emission fuel cell vehicles. At the time, California had four fuel cell vehicles and one hydrogen station. Within months, other auto, energy and technology companies, and federal and local government agencies joined the effort. Today, CaFCP has 30 members who are all active in hydrogen and fuel cell technology in the state of California.

“In the early years, the engineers and technicians were the only people who got to drive the vehicles,” said CaFCP’s executive director, Catherine Dunwoody, who has been in her role since the organization’s start. “Today regular customers drive and fill at hydrogen stations in their neighborhood. We’re at the point where it won’t take miracles to bring these vehicles to market.”

The California Fuel Cell Partnership is a consensus-based organization that focuses moving toward a commercial market for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. By collaborating between industry and government on projects such as defining and measuring hydrogen quality or coordinating the rollout of vehicles and stations, CaFCP reduces processes from years to just months.

Key milestones over the last 10 years include:

• Moving from early concept vehicles to fleet demonstrations, including some automakers placing vehicles with customers in lease programs.
• 25 hydrogen stations, including six that are publically accessible and a plan to place 40 more stations in six target communities in the next few years.
• A facility study that provided architects and planners with important information about hydrogen-powered vehicles, including specific data showing that current parking structures need no modification for FCVs.
• Developing and implementing an internationally recognized training course for emergency responders.
• Designating hydrogen as an automotive fuel, an important step to sell the fuel at a station.
• Operating the first privately owned hydrogen station, establishing a foundation for private insurance and determining operating costs.
• Reaching hundreds of thousands of people through a fact-based outreach program.

“The last 10 years have gone by fast, and we’ve met or exceeded our goals,” concluded Dunwoody. “I’m looking forward to the next few years as we move to the early commercial market.”

• 60 A-Class F-CELL in operation worldwide – 30 in U.S. operation
• Successful trials underline viability of technology
• B-Class F-CELL to be produced in small series at the end of this year

Long Beach, CA – Daimler’s A-Class F-CELL hydrogen powered vehicle caps a successful five-year journey of road trials in the U.S. with its participation in the Hydrogen Road Tour 09 starting today at Chula Vista, California. The recently converted A-Class F-CELL “plus” with 700 bar technology will participate in the tour along with hydrogen-powered vehicles from other automakers. This new 700 bar technology extends the range in the current vehicle generation by about 70 percent.

The nine day road trip will cover over 1,800 miles and stop in 28 communities before arriving in Vancouver, British Columbia on June 3. The tour is showcasing the progress of hydrogen programs in the U.S. and is organized by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), the California Fuel Cell Partnership (CaFCP), Powertech Labs, the National Hydrogen Association and the U.S. Fuel Cell Council.

A fleet of 30 A-Class F-CELL vehicles has been in daily use on public roads in the U.S. since 2004. The program includes fleet and infrastructure trials supported by the states of California and Michigan. After the tour, the A-Class F-CELL will be passing on the baton to the next generation of fuel cell vehicles: The B-Class F-CELL, the first fuel cell vehicle produced in a small volume series, but under full series development processes. The A-Class F-CELL vehicles which were deployed with customers from governmental agencies, universities and utility companies, received high marks from their users for their drivability, great acceleration, and zero tailpipe emissions, “We are excited about the positive reception of fuel cell technology in California and across the U.S.,” said Dr. Christian Mohrdieck, Director of Fuel Cell & Battery Drive Development at Daimler. “It is an extraordinary pleasure to me that our trial partners in government and in the private sector consider the A-Class F-CELL a living proof of the viability of hydrogen fuel cell propulsion. They are enthusiastically supporting the plea for funding and creating the much needed infrastructure.”

Fuel cell technology is key to emission-free driving in the future, as it is the only emission-free technology equally suited for both short and long distance mobility. Bringing fuel cell technology to market requires efficient cooperation between political decision-makers, the oil industry, the energy sector, and other potential investors. The production of hydrogen from renewable sources and the establishment of a suitable hydrogen supply infrastructure are crucial to continue the advancement of this technology.
Therefore, Daimler is actively engaging in dialogue and technical cooperation with industrial, governmental and policy stakeholders to foster the partnering and solicit support. The company is an active and founding Daimler Communications, 70546 Stuttgart/Germany member of the California Fuel Cell Partnership and is working with the Department of Energy on a technology validation project.

Only with further cooperation, standardization and the implementation of a comprehensive infrastructure it will be possible to pave the road to emission-free driving. Daimler underlines its commitment to environmental responsibility and will release the first near-serially produced fuel cell vehicles to customers as early as 2010. The company expects the marketability as early as 2015.

Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-CELL
The B-Class F-CELL is a Compact Sports Tourer which will be introduced to customers by the end of 2009 and is far more powerful and efficient than the A-Class F-CELL. Based on the optimized more compact fuel cell system presented by Mercedes-Benz in its F 600 HYGENIUS research vehicle in 2005, the newly designed stack module is around 40 percent smaller, but develops 30 percent more power output and cuts fuel consumption by 16 percent. The system also has favorable cold-starting ability. The B-Class
F-CELL will boast an operating range of about 250 miles per tank filling.

Fuel Cell Pioneer
A pioneer in fuel cell technology, Daimler’s first drive concept went public in 1994 with the introduction of Necar 1, which was followed by 20 additional prototypes. With the introduction of the A-Class F-CELL in 2003, Daimler presented the world’s first pre-production series vehicle. Today, Daimler operates the largest fuel cell fleet with over 100 vehicles in service worldwide: Concept vehicles, passenger cars, vans, and Citaro city buses Daimler Communications, 70546 Stuttgart/Germany are undergoing trials with customers in everyday operation. In 2007 an F-CELL A-Class reached 100,000 miles and 2,500 operating hours without stack repair or replacement. With some 300,000 emission-free miles covered by this fuel cell fleet, Daimler has more data, expertise and experience at its disposal than any other manufacturer. Insights gained through these trials will flow directly to the ongoing research and development work and help to continue the optimization of this drive system, a strong proof of Daimler’s commitment to innovative leadership on the road to a new era of mobility: sustainable, high-performing, efficient
and emissions-free.

Linde to install fueling station for fuel cell vehicles

MURRAY HILL, N.J. & SAN FRANCISCO– San Francisco International Airport, already one of the world’s most environmentally conscious airports, is about to get even greener. By 2010, the Airport will be home to a hydrogen fueling station, designed and installed by Linde North America.

Linde North America is a member of The Linde Group, a leading gases and engineering company and one of the world’s largest hydrogen producers. SFO is the Bay Area’s largest airport.

The station will be one of the stops along California’s growing Hydrogen Highway and will be open to drivers of fuel cell vehicles who live in or pass through northern California. Hydrogen from the station also will be used to fuel a fleet of SFO’s shuttle buses as well as the demonstration of San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority’s hybrid transit bus which uses hydrogen fuel cell battery and low sulfur biodiesel technology.

Note: Media are invited to attend an event from 2:15 to 3:30 p.m. today to dedicate the planned station. The event is one of 28 stops along Hydrogen Road Tour 2009 and will include a convoy of fuel cell powered vehicles traveling from the California/Mexico border to Vancouver, British Columbia. The event also will include brief remarks from organization representatives and elected officials.

Mike McGowan, head of hydrogen solutions, Linde North America, said, “For the past decade, Linde has been focused on finding ways to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions. By teaming up with SFO and our other partners, Linde is uniquely qualified to deliver a hydrogen refueling system that is safe, reliable and will show people how beneficial and practical hydrogen powered vehicles can be.”

“At the heart of the station is the Linde MaxFueler 90, a dispensing system whose fast-fill technology makes hydrogen fueling quick and easy, creating a similar experience to what motorists now get at their local service station,” McGowan said.

The project is partially funded by a $1.7 million grant from the California Air Resources Board (ARB).

John L. Martin, Airport director, said, “The development and installation of a hydrogen fueling station at SFO is just a further extension of the Airport’s commitment to being a good steward of the environment. Whether it be the expansion of solar or wind energy systems, the continued use of CNG and biodiesel fueled vehicles, or being part of cutting-edge systems such as hydrogen fueling facilities, SFO is fully committed to reducing its carbon footprint in our community.”

ARB Chairman Mary D. Nichols said, “Thank you to the leaders of San Francisco Airport for supporting this new technology. It will assure that others can embrace fuel cell vehicles with the same ease we enjoy from petroleum engines, thereby increasing the state’s energy and economic security.”

Linde also will supply hydrogen for the adjacent Hythane station, which is set for completion by early 2010. Hythane(R) is a blend of natural gas and hydrogen, often thought of as a bridge technology to pure hydrogen vehicles. “Hythane(R) fuel will be used for 27 airport shuttle buses, providing emissions reductions across a respectably-sized fleet,” said John Nadeau, business development manager of the Hythane Company.

Other project partners include: San Mateo County, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, Propel Fuels and automakers GM, Daimler, Toyota, and Hyundai.

About Linde

Linde, one of the earliest entrants into the hydrogen energy arena, is a leader in the safe production, liquefaction, storage and distribution of hydrogen. Linde is the world’s only company with the in-house technology to fuel gaseous or liquid hydrogen regardless of the mode of on-board storage.

Linde has equipped over 70 hydrogen fueling stations in 15 countries, supplying hydrogen for projects large and small. Amounts supplied range from a few hundred cubic feet of compressed hydrogen in cylinders to thousands of tons of liquid and gaseous hydrogen delivered by tank truck or pipeline.

The Linde Group is a world leading gases and engineering company with almost 52,000 employees working in around 100 countries worldwide. In the 2008 financial year it achieved sales of EUR 12.7 billion (USD 15.9 billion). The strategy of The Linde Group is geared towards sustainable earnings-based growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business with forward-looking products and services.

Linde acts responsibly towards its shareholders, business partners, employees, society and the environment – in every one of its business areas, regions and locations across the globe. Linde is committed to technologies and products that unite the goals of customer value and sustainable development.

For more information, see The Linde Group online at http://www.linde.com

About SFO

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) offers non-stop links with more than 30 international points on 25 international carriers. The Bay Area’s largest airport connects non-stop with more than 65 cities in the U.S. on 20 domestic airlines. For up-to-the-minute departure and arrival information, airport maps and details on shopping, dining, cultural exhibitions, ground transportation and more, visit www.flysfo.com. SFO was voted “North America’s Best Airport” in 2008 by passengers for its outstanding customer service and amenities.

GARDNERVILLE, NV — SymPowerco Corporation (PINKSHEETS: SYMW) CEO John Davenport announced today that the company’s majority-owned subsidiary, Polygenic Power Systems (”PPS”), has been notified that its application for grant funding from a major North American Government Agency has been approved. The funding, when received by PPS and its partners, will support SymPowerco’s Flowing Electrolyte Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (FEDMFC) advanced development program.

SymPowerco’s extensive grant application included detailed development plans for the FEDMFC project including engineering objectives, scalability testing as well as detailed manufacturing and marketing plans. As a result of the funding approval, SymPowerco intends to complete and implement its development plans with its project partners, Hybrid Energy Technologies, Inc. and Carleton University in Ontario, Canada. Development activities under this project are expected to start in late summer or early fall of 2009.

Stated SymPowerco President and CEO, John Davenport, “We at SymPowerco are very pleased that our grant application has been approved. Like all such applications, our application was subject to rigorous academic and industrial peer reviews before final acceptance. We have successfully completed that process and we can now move forward with our plans. We believe that our Flowing Electrolyte Direct Methanol Fuel Cell will be a strong candidate for a wide variety of Hybrid Power System and Fuel Cell markets.”

SymPowerco Corporation develops advanced fuel cell and power delivery systems for the rapidly growing personal transportation and portable power system markets being created by today’s energy and environmental challenges.

LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa.–The 2009 Hydrogen Road Tour begins today and Air Products (NYSE: APD) hydrogen fueling technology will be key to making possible the 1,700-mile start-to-finish hydrogen powered vehicle trek from California to Vancouver, British Columbia.  Along the way the touring vehicles from seven major automakers will make 28 stops over the next nine days in three states and Canada, with Air Products’ hydrogen, hydrogen fueling stations and mobile fueling technology helping to power the caravan of clean, efficient hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles.

“We are pleased to be providing the hydrogen technology and infrastructure for this tour again this year.  Last year’s event on the East Coast was a great success and we believe the West Coast public will enjoy seeing and driving these hydrogen powered vehicles over the coming days.  Continued exposure of these vehicles and hydrogen fueling gives people and the media a greater understanding that the technology is really here today,” said Ed Kiczek, global director – Hydrogen Energy Systems at Air Products.

Today’s first day of the tour includes fueling at Air Products’ hydrogen fueling station at the
University of California, Irvine.  The station has been operating since 2007, and at the time of its unveiling, was the first 700 bar (10,000 psi) pressure capable fueling station to be sited in the United States at a location with wider public accessibility for vehicle fueling demonstrations.  More information of what stops the 2009 Hydrogen Road Tour will be making can be found at www.hydrogenroadtour.com.

The California Air Resources Board, California Fuel Cell Partnership (CaFCP), Powertech Labs (on behalf of British Columbia), National Hydrogen Association (NHA) and the U.S. Fuel Cell Council are organizing the 2009 Hydrogen Road Tour. The Tour is making a special focus for stops in the communities where hydrogen technologies such as passenger vehicles, transit buses and hydrogen stations will likely enter the market first.  “The Tour will show how capable today’s hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles are by providing performance, environmental responsibility, a reduction of fuel imports and a pleasant driving experience for anyone who gets behind the wheel,” said Jeff Serfass, President of the National Hydrogen Association.

On the Hydrogen Road Tour, the public will be able to see the latest hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles from Daimler, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai-Kia, Nissan, Toyota and Volkswagen, including several new models, as well as fuel cell transit buses at several stops.

According to the NHA, there are over 300 zero-emission fuel cell vehicles placed on U.S. roads today along with 62 operational hydrogen fueling stations in anticipation of plans released by automakers, energy companies and government agencies to collectively roll out 4,300 passenger vehicles to customers in California by 2014.  In addition, transit agencies operate fuel cell buses, including BC Transit in Vancouver, which will operate a fleet of 20 fuel cell buses for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Cities, businesses and military bases in California, Oregon, Washington and many other American states are implementing other projects that use fuel cells, including forklifts and stationary power for buildings and cell phone towers.

“Fuel cell technology is on the verge of becoming a practical alternative to burning gasoline,” said Air Resources Board Chairman Mary D. Nichols. “This year’s road tour demonstrates how far the industry has come and how near we are to putting these cars in the public’s hands. I’d like to congratulate the partnership, the individual auto manufacturers working to develop these cars and the companies installing needed refueling stations. Their great progress secures our energy independence and defends the environment.”

Air Products, the leading hydrogen supplier to refineries to assist in making cleaner burning transportation fuels, has placed over 90 hydrogen fueling stations in the United States and 16 countries worldwide.  Cars, trucks, vans, buses, scooters, forklifts and other materials handling equipment, and even submarines, have been fueled with this trend-setting technology that involves Air Products’ know-how, equipment, and hydrogen, and use of the technology, which is increasing rapidly at approximately 2,000 hydrogen fills per week.  Air Products provides liquid and gaseous hydrogen, and HCNG (hydrogen/compressed natural gas) fueling, and has developed a variety of enabling devices and protocols for fuel dispensing at varied pressures.  Hydrogen for these stations is delivered to a site via truck, by on-site natural gas reformation, and by electrolysis, including electrolysis that is solar and wind driven.
Air Products has more than 50 years of hydrogen experience and is on the forefront of hydrogen energy technology development. Air Products has an extensive patent portfolio with over 50 patents in hydrogen dispensing technology.  For more information on Air Products’ hydrogen fueling station technologies go to www.airproducts.com/h2energy.

NEW YORK– The Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) today announced the signing of a contract with EnerDel, Ener1, Inc.’s lithium-ion battery subsidiary, to produce batteries for one of the most advanced urban transit buses in the world. AC Transit has placed orders for 16 new, next-generation, hybrid-electric fuel cell buses, to replace the three older model fuel cell buses it has been operating since 2006. The new vehicles will use highly advanced battery systems developed by Indiana-based EnerDel Lithium Power Systems, the first company to produce automotive grade lithium-ion batteries on a commercial scale in the United States.

The battery system is an integral part of the zero-emission fuel cell bus, capturing energy from regenerative braking and improving fuel economy and efficiency. Twelve of the buses, which are currently in production, will be the backbone of AC Transit’s fuel cell fleet and are to be used by a consortium of Bay Area transit operators in the California Air Resources Board’s only Advanced Zero-Emission Bus Demonstration program. The other four buses are being purchased by UTC Power and will be operated by various transit agencies under the Federal Transit Administration’s National Fuel Cell Bus Program.

“Onboard energy storage is a critical component of our hybrid-electric fuel cell buses, and finding the correct battery system to work hand-in-hand with our fuel cell system is essential to the overall success of these highly advanced vehicles,” said Rick Fernandez, General Manager of AC Transit. “EnerDel offered us the best solution to address reliability and performance standards in the demanding and difficult operating environment of heavy-duty transit operations.”

Since 2000, AC Transit has been developing what has become one of the most comprehensive hydrogen fuel cell demonstration programs in the world. The 16 new buses will demonstrate that lithium-ion battery systems can be scaled up for use in heavy-duty applications. In addition to EnerDel, the new buses are being designed collaboratively by AC Transit, Van Hool (the bus manufacturer and integrator), and UTC Power, a United Technologies Corp. company (the fuel cell system provider). Hydrogen tanks on the roof of the bus will provide a range of approximately 300 miles.

“We are honored that the design team selected EnerDel for this program, and are excited to be working with them on this project,” said EnerDel CEO Ulrik Grape. “We have successfully leveraged the extensive work EnerDel has developed and delivered for other applications, while tailoring and adding additional features to this system for heavy-duty bus usage. The technologies being used in these buses will eventually find their way into all kinds of vehicles, including the one in your driveway.”

Fuel cell buses are clean, ultra-quiet vehicles that only emit water vapor from the tailpipe. AC Transit began building its zero-emission bus program in 2000. The first three, full-service, fuel cell buses began operating in regular service in early 2006, and have now logged more than 165,000 miles of service, carrying in excess of 400,000 passengers. AC Transit is also the lead agency in a coalition of Bay Area transit operators working together to demonstrate the viability of zero-emission buses to the region and the transit industry. As part of this effort, AC Transit is expecting to receive delivery of its 12 next-generation fuel cell buses before June 2010.

About AC Transit

AC Transit is one of the largest transit agencies in California, serving over 67 million passengers a year throughout a 360-square mile region in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. For 49 years, AC Transit has been recognized as a national leader in the transit industry. The Environmental and Energy Study Institute of Washington, D.C., named AC Transit a “National Clean Bus Leader” for its advanced environmental technology initiatives. In 2006, AC Transit was recognized by the San Francisco Bay Area’s Metropolitan Transportation Commission with an award of excellence, for its pioneering work in the development of zero-emission technology and its leadership role in advancing the cause of environmentally sound programs for the public transport industry. More information about AC Transit is available at www.actransit.org/environment/.