The report analyzes the activities of three groups: OEM automotive vendors (including buses), component and materials suppliers, and the companies building the hydrogen infrastructure that will be required when fuel cell-powered vehicles hit the streets commercially

Oyster Bay, NY - February 7, 2005 - ABI Research has just released its first annual comparative study of companies active in the automotive fuel cell market.

Titled "Automotive Fuel Cell Vendors -- A Competitive Assessment", the report analyzes the activities of three groups: OEM automotive vendors (including buses), component and materials suppliers, and the companies building the hydrogen infrastructure that will be required when fuel cell-powered vehicles hit the streets commercially.

According to the firm's director of energy research, Atakan Ozbek, the study ranks top companies in the field according to two benchmarks: innovation and implementation. "While the innovation benchmark measures such factors as intellectual property, patents, R&D funds and results," he says, "the implementation benchmark takes into account quantities of units shipped, as well as customers, company commitments, and alliances."

The study found that when it comes to fuel cell "implementation" among automotive OEMs, the three top-ranking companies were DaimlerChrysler, Toyota and General Motors.

In the fuel cell supply chain, the top innovators were DuPont, W.L. Gore and 3M Corp., which all surpassed Ballard in the rankings.

"What's just as important as comparing the companies in this study," adds Ozbek, "is establishing baseline measurements of their performance at this time. Then, when we repeat the research next year, we will have valuable additional data about how these companies' fuel cell programs have developed and evolved."

While the large fuel cell companies mostly generate their revenues from government contracts, smaller companies will have to conserve their cash reserves, due to the lack of commercial units to provide revenues.

One of the interesting findings of the study," observes Ozbek, "is the great difference in the business strategies of the world's three biggest energy companies, BP, ExxonMobil, and Shell. While BP and Shell have been collaboratively opening hydrogen fueling stations, ExxonMobil has mostly been watching developments from the sidelines."

Founded in 1990 and headquartered in New York, ABI Research maintains global operations that support annual research programs, intelligence services and market reports in wireless, automotive, semiconductors, broadband, and energy. For more information please visit www.abiresearch.com, or call 516.624.2500.