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News of  June 13, 2001

General Motors Joins Forces With Leader In Hydrogen Storage TechnoLogies

QUANTUM Technologies partnership provides GM with potential to significantly increase the range of its fuel cell vehicles

Photo: GM

DETROIT - General Motors and QUANTUM Technologies, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of IMPCO Technologies, Inc., today announced an equity partnership deal for the development of hydrogen storage devices that could make future fuel cell electric vehicles competitive with today's gasoline vehicles in terms of range.

GM will be acquiring a substantial minority ownership position in QUANTUM to collaborate on improving the range of GM's fuel cell vehicles through the development hydrogen storage, hydrogen handling and electronic control technologies for fuel cell applications.

Vehicle range is a key issue in introducing fuel cells to the marketplace. One hurdle to extending the range of a fuel cell vehicle is the ability to efficiently store compressed hydrogen at high pressure.

QUANTUM has set a mass performance record of 11.3 percent hydrogen storage by weight in a tank at 5,000 pounds per square inch (psi). This tank holds nearly double the amount of hydrogen compared with similar tanks used by competing technologies. Further, QUANTUM has demonstrated a proof of concept storage tank that could potentially store hydrogen at 10,000 psi.

This could help GM introduce a fuel cell vehicle in the future that potentially has a range equal to or greater than today's internal combustion engine. This is a key element in making fuel cell vehicles viable in the market.

"QUANTUM Technologies is recognized as the industry leader in hydrogen storage and handling for automotive applications," said Larry Burns, GM vice president for research and development, and planning. "We've had a long relationship with QUANTUM in the alternative fuels field. This agreement will enable our two companies to work together on bringing fuel cell vehicles to the market. It is a logical next step on the long road to a hydrogen-based economy."

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. QUANTUM Technologies is based in Irvine, California.

(June 12, 2001)

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