VANCOUVER, May 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Ballard Power
Systems (NASDAQ: BLDP; TSX: BLDP) today announced that the
company's FCveloCity®-HD 85-kilowatt fuel cell engine
will power a hybrid class 8 drayage truck built by Kenworth Truck
Company ("Kenworth"; www.kenworth.com), a market-leading builder of
heavy and medium duty trucks. The drayage truck is planned to haul
shipping containers from the ports of Los
Angeles and Long Beach to
area warehouses and intermodal facilities during a two-year
demonstration program.
"The electrification of propulsion systems is being adopted
globally," said Rob Campbell,
Ballard's Chief Commercial
Officer. "We see significant market interest in the complementary
addition of fuel cell systems to address the range limitations of
stand-alone battery solutions in certain use cases. We are excited
to be working with Kenworth, which has a strong brand in the
commercial trucking market, and BAE Systems, a Ballard systems integrator partner, to help
create an advanced power solution for this heavy-duty motive
requirement. We are now seeing growing demand in key global
trucking markets for zero-emission and efficient propulsions
systems that provide the trucking industry with the traditional
range and refueling times provided by legacy diesel
solutions."
Patrick Dean, Kenworth chief
engineer said, "Within the next decade, hybrid-electric powertrains
are expected to be required to satisfy emissions regulations in
several major U.S. metropolitan areas. For example, California is considering regulations that
will require zero-emission levels for port drayage trucks operating
in specifically designated areas. We look forward to playing a
leadership role to meet the opportunities and challenges
ahead."
Jason Hanlin, Director of
Technology Development at the Center for Transportation and the
Environment (CTE) noted, "The strength of this project comes from a
team that is comprised of leaders in their respective fields –
Kenworth for their heavy-duty truck design and manufacturing
experience, BAE Systems for their powertrain integration and
component supply experience, and Ballard for their extensive fuel cell supply
experience. Working with this team on the technical development of
a fuel cell drayage truck has been nothing short of impressive and
inspiring."
The fuel cell engine in the Kenworth truck will be used to
recharge onboard lithium-ion batteries, which power a dual-rotor
electric motor to drive the rear tandem axle through a 4-speed
automated transmission. The truck will have an electric-only range
of approximately 30 miles, and onboard hydrogen fuel will provide
sufficient range for a full day in regional haul applications.
The development and demonstration project is the San Pedro Ports
Fuel Cell and Hybrid Electric Vehicle Demonstration Project funded
by the U.S. Department of Energy, the California Energy Commission,
the ports of Los Angeles and
Long Beach and the South Coast Air
Quality Management District. The Center for Transportation and the
Environment (CTE), a nonprofit organization that develops
technologies and implements solutions to achieve energy and
environmental sustainability, lead the proposal development effort
and is acting as project coordinator.
About Ballard Power Systems
Ballard Power Systems
(NASDAQ: BLDP; TSX: BLDP) provides clean energy products that
reduce customer costs and risks, and helps customers solve
difficult technical and business challenges in their fuel cell
programs. To learn more about Ballard, please visit www.ballard.com.
This release contains forward-looking statements concerning
planned product deployments, provision of services, market adoption
and demand for our products and available subsidies. These
forward-looking statements reflect Ballard's current expectations as contemplated
under section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and
Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Any
such forward-looking statements are based on Ballard's assumptions relating to its
financial forecasts and expectations regarding its product
development efforts, manufacturing capacity, and market demand.
These statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause
Ballard's actual results to be
materially different, including general economic and regulatory
changes, detrimental reliance on third parties, successfully
achieving our business plans and achieving and sustaining
profitability. For a detailed discussion of these and other risk
factors that could affect Ballard's future performance, please refer to
Ballard's most recent Annual
Information Form. Readers should not place undue reliance on
Ballard's forward-looking
statements and Ballard assumes no
obligation to update or release any revisions to these forward
looking statements, other than as required under applicable
legislation.
This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the
solicitation of an offer to buy securities. The Ballard
Common Shares have not been registered under the United States
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the securities laws of any
other jurisdiction and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an
applicable exemption from registration requirements.
SOURCE Ballard Power Systems Inc.