Ballard, Coleman Powermate to Collaborate on Portable Fuel Cell Power Generators.

Business Editors

VANCOUVER, British Columbia/BOCA RATON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Jan. 16, 2000

Ballard Power Systems (TSE:BLD) (Nasdaq:BLDP) and Coleman Powermate, Inc. a subsidiary of Sunbeam Corporation (NYSE:SOC), jointly announced today that they are collaborating on the development of portable and standby power products using Ballard(R) fuel cells. As part of the collaboration, Ballard and Coleman Powermate will produce 50 prototype units for initial product testing.

"As a leader in portable power products, Coleman Powermate has a substantial share of the portable power generation market in North America. Their expertise, combined with Ballard's leadership in fuel cells and fuel cell systems, will allow rapid development of products for this growing market," said Firoz Rasul, Ballard's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

Ballard and Coleman Powermate will work together to pursue market opportunities and develop co-branded fuel cell powered products for portable and standby power markets. It is intended that products developed as a result of the collaboration, as well as the required fuels, will be available to consumers through Coleman Powermate's network of retailers and distributors. Demand for these products is growing due, in part, to increasingly severe weather patterns and periods of intense demand on electric utility grids.

"Fuel cell technology is revolutionizing power generation in a number of areas. Our collaboration with Ballard, the fuel cell industry leader, confirms Coleman Powermate's commitment to providing our customers with the best alternatives in backup power," said Coleman Powermate President Steve Krawczyk.

Advantages of portable generators powered by Ballard fuel cells include clean, quiet and reliable operation. The architecture of Ballard's recently introduced Mark 900 fuel cell, which uses low-cost materials and can be manufactured in high volumes, will form the foundation for Ballard's portable fuel cell products as well as fuel cells for transportation and stationary applications.

Coleman Powermate is a North American market leader in portable electric generators and air compressors. The company has been manufacturing equipment in the heartland of the U.S.A. for over 35 years with facilities in Nebraska and Minnesota and corporate headquarters in Aurora, Illinois. Coleman Powermate is a subsidiary of Sunbeam Corporation, a leading consumer products company that designs, manufactures and markets, nationally and internationally, a diverse portfolio of consumer products under such world-class brands as Sunbeam(R), Oster(R), Grillmaster(R), Coleman(R), Mr. Coffee(R), First Alert(R), Powermate(R), Health o meter(R), Eastpak(R) and Campingaz(R).

This release contains forward-looking statements reflecting Ballard Power Systems' current expectations as contemplated under the Safe Harbor provisions of the US Private Securities Litigation Reform Law of 1995. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, product development delays, changing environmental regulations, the ability to attract and retain business partners, future levels of government funding, competition from other fuel cell manufacturers, competition from other advanced energy technologies, competition from existing energy technologies, evolving markets for electric power and transportation vehicles, and the ability to provide the capital required for product development, operations and marketing. Investors are encouraged to review the section Management Discussion and Analysis in Ballard's 1998 Annual Report titled "Operating Results, Capital Requirements, and Risks" (pages 30-34) for a complete discussion of factors that could affect Ballard's future performance.

Ballard Power Systems is the world leader in developing, manufacturing and marketing zero-emission proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells for use in transportation, electricity generation and portable power products. Ballard Power Systems' proprietary fuel cell technology is enabling automobile, electrical equipment and portable power product manufacturers to develop environmentally clean products for sale. The fundamental component of these end-user products is the Ballard(R) fuel cell that combines hydrogen (which can be obtained from methanol, natural gas or petroleum) and oxygen (from air) without combustion to generate electricity. Ballard is partnering with strong, world-leading companies, including DaimlerChrysler, Ford, GPU International, ALSTOM and EBARA, to commercialize Ballard fuel cells. Ballard has also supplied fuel cells to General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Volkswagen, Yamaha, Cinergy and Matsushita Electric Works, among others.

Ballard's Common shares are listed on The Toronto Stock Exchange and on the Nasdaq National Market System. Ballard and the Ballard logo are registered trademarks of Ballard Power Systems Inc.