Fact Sheet

History of the California Fuel Cell Partnership

How It Began
In January 1999, two state government agencies joined with six companies to form the California Fuel Cell Partnership. The CaFCP’s overarching goal is to demonstrate and promote the potential for fuel cell-powered electric vehicles as a clean, safe, and practical alternative to vehicles powered by internal combustion engines.

When Governor Gray Davis formally announced the CaFCP on April 20, 1999 at the State Capitol in Sacramento, California, he said, “California has teamed with some of the best automotive manufacturers and energy providers in the world, to develop an exciting new technology that is both environmentally safe and commercially viable.”

The Goals
The original goals set by the CaFCP were to:

  • Demonstrate fuel cell technology by operating and testing vehicles on California’s roads;
  • Demonstrate alternative fuel infrastructure technology;
  • Explore the path to commercialization; and
  • Increase public awareness through a coordinated outreach plan.

For the next phase – 2004-2007 – those goals will be furthered through vehicle fleet demonstrations, support of additional fueling stations, promoting practical codes and standards, and exchanging information and resources worldwide.

The Organization
The CaFCP is directed by a Steering Team composed of one executive member from each of the full members. The Steering Team meets quarterly, and provides policies and direction for the organization. An Executive Director leads the CaFCP programs through a Working Group, in which teams comprised of member representatives focus on vehicle and station interoperability, bus programs, safety, and communications. The CaFCP has an administrative staff on-site at the West Sacramento headquarters facility.

The Members
Members fall into one of four categories: auto, energy, technology and government. Specific qualifying criteria apply for each category, and new members are added at the invitation of the CaFCP’s Steering Team. Associate members provide expertise in specific program areas, such as hydrogen or methanol fueling and bus demonstrations.

Original Eight Members:

Fuel cell manufacturer: Ballard Power Systems
Automotive manufacturers: DaimlerChrysler and Ford Motor Company
Energy providers: BP, Shell Hydrogen, and ChevronTexaco
Government agencies: California Air Resources Board and California Energy Commission

New Members and Associate Members (1999 to present):

  • New Members added on October 5, 1999: Honda and Volkswagen
  • New Member added on January 26, 2000: U.S. Department of Energy
  • New Member added on March 2, 2000: Nissan
  • New Associate Members added on January 26, 2000: AC Transit, SunLine Transit Agency, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., and Praxair
  • New Associate Member added on March 2, 2000: Methanex
  • New Member added in April 2000: South Coast Air Quality Management District
  • New Member added in June 2000: Hyundai, International Fuel Cells (now UTC Fuel Cells), and the U.S. Department of Transportation
  • New Members added in October 2000: GM and Toyota
  • New Associate Members added in November 2000: Hydrogen Burner Technology (now defunct), Pacific Gas & Electric, Proton Energy Systems, Inc., and Stuart Energy
  • New Member added in March 2001: ExxonMobil
  • New Associate Member added in June 2001: Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
  • New Member added in July 2002: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • New Associate Member in December 2002: Ztek
  • New associate member added in August 2004: University of California Davis, Institute of Transportation Studies

The West Sacramento Facility
The CaFCP constructed a headquarters office in West Sacramento, which houses fuel cell electric vehicles, a hydrogen refueling station, and a methanol fueling station. The facility serves as an operations base for executing the CaFCP’s goals of demonstrating fuel cell vehicle technology and an alternative fuel infrastructure. The 55,000 square foot facility opened in November 2000.

Automotive members DaimlerChrysler, Ford, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Toyota and Volkswagen occupy indoor garage “bays” designed to house vehicles for routine servicing, repairs, and diagnostic purposes.

Energy members BP, ExxonMobil, Shell Hydrogen and ChevronTexaco along with associate members Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. and Praxair jointly designed and built a hydrogen fueling facility, which dispenses compressed or liquid hydrogen fuel for the vehicles.

A 2,000 gallon methanol fueling station was constructed and commissioned in April 2002 by the Methanol Fuel Cell Alliance of DaimlerChrysler, Ballard, BP, Statoil, BASF and Methanex.

Ballard Power Systems leases space at the facility for administrative and technical purposes.

For more information, including tours and upcoming events, please visit the California Fuel Cell Partnership at www.cafcp.org.

Updated August 2004