Ford is developing a prototype heavy-duty fuel cell truck as part of a European Union project, Canadian fuel cell specialist Ballard Power Systems has revealed, and will supply the technology before the end of the year.
The 44-ton Ford F-MAX from Turkish joint venture Ford Otosan is set to be converted into a fuel cell truck with two FCmove-XD Ballard units of 120 kW each, even if it is just one unit for now. The fuel cell F-MAX is scheduled to be built in Turkey and put on the road in 2025 for first demonstrations as part of the EU ZEFES (Zero Emissions Charging Ecosystem) project.
“The first F-MAX fuel cell electric vehicle, which we will develop as part of the ZEFES project, will be a milestone,” said Imra Doman, vice president of Ford Trucks. “We are thrilled to be working with Ballard on this important project. This long-term relationship will generate tremendous value in the future. We have a broad pool of promising technological talent and capabilities, and our work is progressing rapidly and successfully.”
Under the terms of the MOU, Ballard may be designated as a preferred supplier for series production of the F-MAX fuel cell vehicle upon successful completion of the development program and subject to certain other conditions (which will not be further detailed in this case). Incidentally, the fuel cell modules Ballard is supplying to Ford on the project will also be used in the Quantron QHM FCEV heavy-duty truck.
“Ford Trucks is a significant win for Ballard and a key partner for a potentially high-growth truck vertical,” says Ballard COO David Mucciacciaro. “We are excited about their ambition toward large-scale deployments of F-MAX fuel cell trucks. Our FCmove-XD is a great match for the range, refueling, payload and packaging requirements of our long-haul tractor customers.”
The EU ZEFES project was launched earlier this year and is scheduled to run for 3.5 years. Under this agreement, four truck OEMs (Ford Otosan, Renault Trucks, Scania and Volvo Trucks) work together with suppliers, logistics operators and research partners to accelerate the development of long-range heavy-duty BEV and FCEV trucks. In 2025, nine different vehicle models (including four fuel cell vehicles and five battery-electric vehicles) are expected to cover more than 1 million kilometers on EU roads in real-world daily use.
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