Daimler AG, Ford Motor Company and Nissan Motor Co. have signed a three-way agreement for the joint development of a common fuel cell system to accelerate availability of zero-emission technology and reduce investment costs. The collaboration is expected to result in the launch of the world’s first affordable, mass-market fuel cell electric vehicles by 2017. The agreement sends a clear signal to suppliers, policymakers and industry to encourage further development of hydrogen infrastructure worldwide.

Zero Emission Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) by 2017


The goal of the collaboration is to jointly develop a common fuel cell electric vehicle system while reducing investment costs associated with the engineering of the technology. Each company will invest equally towards the project with the aim to maximise design commonality, leverage volume and derive efficiencies through economies of scale to ensure the launch of the world’s first affordable mass-market FCEVs by 2017.

The three companies, together, have over 60 years of cumulative experience in developing FCEVs. The partners plan to develop a common fuel cell stack and fuel cell system that each company can use to launch differentiated and separately branded FCEVs which will produce zero emissions while driving.

The FCEVs will be powered by electricity generated from hydrogen and oxygen and will only emit water while driving. FCEVs are considered to be complementary to today’s battery electric vehicles and will help expand the range of zero emission transportation options available to customers.

“We are convinced that fuel cell vehicles will play a central role for zero-emission mobility in the future. Thanks to the high commitment of all three partners we can put fuel cell e-mobility on a broader basis. This means with this cooperation we will make this technology available for many customers around the globe”, said Prof. Thomas Weber, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG, Group Research & Mercedes-Benz Cars Development.



Engineering work on both the fuel cell stack and the fuel cell system will be done jointly by the three companies at several locations around the world. The partners are also studying the joint development of other FCEV components to generate even further synergies.



The unique collaboration across three continents and three companies will help define global specifications and component standards, an important prerequisite for achieving higher economies of scale.



How does a Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) work?



Like battery-electric vehicles, FCEVs are more efficient than conventional cars and diversify energy sources beyond petroleum. The electricity for an FCEV is produced on board the vehicle in the fuel cell stack where it is generated following an electro-chemical reaction between hydrogen, which is stored in a purpose-designed, high pressure tank, and oxygen from the air. The only bi-products resulting from the reaction are water, vapour and heat.