California Fuel Cell Partnership Announces 2003 Goals.

Business/News Editors

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 11, 2002

Building upon the achievements of the past year, the California Fuel Cell Partnership (www.cafcp.org) today announced its organizational goals for 2003, highlighted by tripling the current number of fuel cell electric vehicles on the road. The partnership also expects to add more hydrogen fueling stations, expand public awareness and education, and prepare for real-world, real-person fleet vehicle and fuel demonstrations.

"Given our achievements this year, we have lived up to our commitment to test fuel cell vehicles and fuel alternatives in real-world conditions," said Don Huberts, 2002 CaFCP Chairman and CEO of Shell Hydrogen. "While the road to wide-scale commercialization still runs uphill, we are blazing a trail marked with optimism and momentum, and it's a trail that stretches across the globe."

Highlights of the past year include placing twenty fuel cell vehicles into testing and demonstration; installing a hydrogen fueling station in Richmond, California; providing a methanol fueling station at its West Sacramento demonstration center; conducting a Technology Forum; training several emergency response agencies; leading a summit meeting of fuel cell organizations from around the world; conducting fuel cell awareness events that reached more than 200,000 people, including a three-day, 300-mile road rally along California's Central Coast; and distributing 1,000 fuel cell learning kits to middle and secondary school teachers.

During 2003, the California Fuel Cell Partnership and its members will:

-- Begin to place FCVs in the hands of fleet customers in California by CaFCP members;

-- Operate up to 60 fuel cell vehicles, together accumulating up to 265,000 miles;

-- Place additional hydrogen fueling stations;

-- Promote fueling station interoperability (i.e., common fit and

use among vehicles);

-- Develop and implement a First Responder training program targeting vehicle and fueling demonstration communities;

-- Coordinate with other fuel cell vehicle programs worldwide and begin to promote consistent data collection and evaluation for bus programs;

-- Expand outreach to the California public through multiple public events and activities, directly familiarizing at least 500,000 people with fuel cell vehicle and fueling technology opportunities and challenges;

-- Distribute 1000 teacher learning kits to middle and high school science teachers;

-- Prepare for a broader rollout of vehicles and fueling in real-world fleet operations during 2004 and beyond;

-- Work closely with the environmental community via the CaFCP E-Team to promote common goals.

CaFCP members expect to continue their joint activity beyond 2003 with vehicles in the hands of real-world users, continued demonstration of fuel alternatives, and a continuing emphasis on public outreach. The partnership expects to announce its post-2003 plans by next April.

The Partnership is a voluntary effort to advance fuel cell technology that could move the world toward practical and affordable environmental solutions. CaFCP is demonstrating fuel cell-powered electric vehicles under real day-to-day driving conditions; testing alternative fuels and demonstrating the viability of an alternative fuel infrastructure technology; exploring the path to commercialization; and increasing public awareness of fuel cell electric vehicles. The Partnership expects to place about 60 fuel cell passenger cars and fuel cell buses on the road by the end of 2003. Additional fuel cell buses are expected in 2004.