The National Automotive Center's participation in our programs, with their perspective of the challenging demands of military applications, adds a very important element to our work in demonstrating the technical viability, high performance capabilities and energy diversification benefits of hydrogen and fuel cell vehicle technology.

(West Sacramento, CA) -- The California Fuel Cell Partnership (CaFCP) today announced that the U.S. Army's National Automotive Center, Warren, Michigan, has joined its public-private venture to demonstrate and promote fuel cell vehicles and fuel alternatives. The National Automotive Center is part of the Tank Automotive Research, Development, and Engineering Center whose higher headquarters is the Research, Development and Engineering Systems Command located at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.

"The National Automotive Center's participation in our programs, with their perspective of the challenging demands of military applications, adds a very important element to our work in demonstrating the technical viability, high performance capabilities and energy diversification benefits of hydrogen and fuel cell vehicle technology," said Firoz Rasul, 2004 Chairman CaFCP and Chairman Emeritus of Ballard Power Systems.

Started in 1992, the National Automotive Center (NAC) is chartered to conduct research and development focused on commercial technologies where potential military requirements can be combined with industry requirements. NAC engineers and program mangers work with their industry partners in promoting the commercialization of various automotive, transportation, fuels and energy management technologies. Unique in the Army's research and development organizations, the NAC is able to leverage industry investments through a variety of programs including cooperative research and development agreements, Small Business Innovative Research, and cost share contracts while accelerating the full commercialization opportunities found in the private sector. The NAC's commitment to the Army is to promote the demonstration of advanced technologies and obtain the lowest commercial price when the products are subsequently bought for military customers. With the initiation of its 21st Century Base Energy Infrastructure program in 2004, the NAC is evaluating the technical, economic, environmental and military issues associated with a transition to hydrogen as a transportation fuel.

"The CaFCP is a great opportunity to collaborate with industry and government together. This relationship will facilitate our better understanding of the commercial technologies related to fuel cells and clean fuels - both key areas to the Army's future," said Dennis Wend, Executive Director of the NAC. "Our need to demonstrate advanced transportation technologies that reduce petroleum consumption and harmful emissions has never been greater. Working within CaFCP will further our goals and show the Army as contributing to a more secure energy future."

The NAC will help accomplish the CaFCP's goal to increase public awareness of fuel cell vehicles by demonstrating fuel cell vehicles and clean fuels on military installations, and will participate in CaFCP's technical programs to address pre-commercial challenges such as vehicle and fueling station interoperability, For more information on the NAC see:

www.tacom.army.mil/tardec/nac/intro/home.htm

About the CaFCP
The California Fuel Cell Partnership is a voluntary, industry-government collaboration to advance a new vehicle and fueling technology that could move the world toward practical and affordable environmental solutions. CaFCP members are demonstrating fuel cell-powered electric vehicles under real day-to-day driving conditions; testing alternative fuels and demonstrating the viability of an alternative fuel infrastructure technology; facilitating the path to commercialization; and increasing public awareness of fuel cell electric vehicles. The CaFCP is working to facilitate placement of up to 300 fuel cell passenger cars and buses on the road by the end of 2007.

The CaFCP -- which started in April 1999 -- includes auto manufacturers (DaimlerChrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Toyota and Volkswagen); energy providers (Air Products, BP, ChevronTexaco, ExxonMobil, Methanex, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Praxair, Proton Energy Systems, Shell Hydrogen, Stuart Energy, and Ztek); technology companies (Ballard Power Systems and UTC Fuel Cells); government agencies (California Air Resources Board, California Energy Commission, South Coast AQMD, US Department of Energy, US Department of Transportation and US Environmental Protection Agency, National Automotive Center and the Institute of Transportation Studies at UC Davis); and bus transit agencies (AC Transit, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, and SunLine Transit Agency).

For more information, please contact the California Fuel Cell Partnership at: 916-371-2870 or by email: info@cafcp.org