GM and SAIC Collaborate on Fuel Cell Vehicles

General Motors Corporation and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) have announced the launch of SAIC's Shanghai Brand Fuel Cell Vehicle, which is powered by GM's latest fourth-generation fuel cell propulsion
technology.

The vehicle from SAIC uses the same 700 bar high-pressure hydrogen fuel cell system adopted in the Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell. It has been announced that  ten Shanghai Brand Fuel Cell Vehicles will be built and will join the Equinox Fuel Cell as part of a fleet of both GM and SAIC vehicles to shuttle VIPs at World Expo 2010 Shanghai.

"The Shanghai and Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell vehicles will be featured in the most extensive fuel cell demonstration program ever conducted in China.  This follows the government's call for the creation of a sustainable transportation
system," said GM Group Vice President and GM Asia Pacific President Nick Reilly.  "GM supports China's move toward sustainability, and we are providing our latest fuel cell technology in line with our overall strategy of in China, with China, for China."

SAIC engineers have been co-located at GM facilities in Germany and GM engineers have been co-located at SAIC facilities in China to produce the vehicles.  The original Equinox fuel cell propulsion system has been modified
and improved to fit into the Shanghai Brand Fuel Cell Vehicle.

The two automakers, which operate eight joint ventures in China, earlier signed a pair of agreements to promote advanced vehicle technology.  Their Shanghai GM joint venture began selling the Buick LaCrosse Eco-Hybrid last
year as part of its Drive to Green strategy.  China is slated to become one of the first markets for the Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle in 2011.

www.gm.com.

Source: Fuel Cell Today