Daimler and Ford take over Ballard Automotive to form new fuel cell joint venture

摘要

Germany/USA - Automotive Fuel Cell Corporation is the name of the new trading company formed by Daimler AG of Stuttgart, Germany and Ford Motor Corporation of Detroit, USA, following its acquisition of the automotive division from Ballard Power Systems. Under the new arrangement, Daimler holds 50.1% of the shareholding, Ford 30% and Ballard retains 19.9%. Both Daimler and Ford had previously held considerable shareholding in Ballard, which had built numerous fuel cells for mainly automotive applications including buses, such as the Mercedes-Benz Citaro fuel cell bus, built as part of the CUTE project some five years ago and which saw vehicles enter service in ten capital cities around the world. Ballard has since been unable to improve the fuel cell system to a commercial level to enable it to enter mass production.