The Focus FCV is the most sophisticated environmental vehicle Ford has ever developed and its success is an important milestone in Ford's long-term strategy to move toward hydrogen and alternative-fuel powered cars and trucks as viable consumer transportation options.
The Ford Focus FCV uses a fuel cell powertrain supplied by Ballard Power Systems, a leader in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell technology. The FCV is hybridized with the addition of a nickel metal-hydride battery pack and a brake-by-wire electro-hydraulic series regenerative braking system. The fuel cell engine converts chemical energy into electric energy using hydrogen fuel and oxygen from air. The electric energy then powers the vehicle's electric drive motor, producing only water vapor and heat as by-products.
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 (California) Municipal District; five cars delivered to the State of Florida; and the five delivered in Michigan today. All of the programs are designed to promote development of hydrogen-based technologies.