Ford opened the first hydrogen filling station in North America on Monday VIDEO CNN's Ed Garsten reports on the latest fuel cell car from Detroit Windows Media 28K 80K

August 16, 1999
Web posted at: 9:24 p.m. EDT (0124 GMT)

From staff and wire reports

DEARBORN, Michigan -- Ford Motor Company on Monday opened North America's first filling station that can power fuel cell vehicles with either liquid or gaseous hydrogen.

"We're committed to fuel cell(s). It's a technology whose day will come," said Ford executive Neil Ressler.

It's also a technology that automakers prefer to electric vehicles, which have a top range of about 100 miles (160 kilometers) between charges.

NASA first developed fuel cells to provide power for spacecraft. The process relies on hydrogen extracted from a fuel like natural gas, propane or methanol, as well as oxygen from the air.

The catalyst surface of a membrane splits the gas molecules into protons and electrons. The electrons travel around the membrane, creating electricity to power the car.

Experts say the process produces no emissions besides water vapor.

The $1.5 million station unveiled by Ford -- only the second of its kind in the world -- was built to refuel its P2000 prototype car.

Spurred by both competitive and regulatory pressures, DaimlerChrysler has also unveiled its NECAR 4 fuel cell vehicle; General Motors is developing its Opel Zafira fuel cell model.

The Big Three have all pledged to launch a fuel cell vehicle on the consumer market in five years.

"What we're going to do is have low volume vehicle (sales) by 2004," said Ford Vice President of Research Bill Powers. "We have a California demonstration program that begins next year."

But fuel cell vehicles are still three times more expensive than gasoline-powered cars, which are easy to refuel.

Automakers are researching whether gasoline or methanol can be converted to hydrogen using a "reformer" for the fuel cells. It's unclear whether the reformer should be located in the vehicle or at the filling station.

Ford and oil giant Mobil Corp. reported progress Monday in developing an "on-board" gasoline fuel reformer. The reformer could boost fuel efficiency by 50 percent over the current internal combustion engine.

Correspondent Ed Garsten and Reuters contributed to this report.