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DaimlerChrysler Fuel Cell Subsidiary and Shell Develop Multi-Fuel Processor

16 February 2000

DaimlerChrysler Fuel Cell Subsidiary and Shell Develop Multi-Fuel Processor Technology

    STUTTGART, Germany and AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Feb. 16 -- The
technology to turn gasoline into hydrogen for powering environmentally
friendly fuel cells has been successfully developed and tested in a
collaborative research project.
    During an 18 month research co-operation, Xcellis GmbH, a subsidiary of
DaimlerChrysler AG , and Shell Hydrogen developed and tested the
technology.  The compact 50 kilowatt multi-fuel system performed under
stationary and dynamic operating test conditions at the Xcellsis laboratories
in Nabern, Germany.   With continued development, such systems could enable
fuel cell vehicles to use gasoline.
    Xcellsis is a new name for the former dbb Fuel Cell Engines, GmbH.  When
formed in 1997, dbb stood for Daimler-Benz and Ballard Power Systems, the
Canadian fuel cell company.  The company outgrew its name as Ford Motor
Company joined the partnership and Daimler-Benz merged with Chrysler.  The
ownership structure of Xcellsis is 51.5 percent DaimlerChrysler, 26.7 percent
Ballard and 21.8 percent Ford.
    "We are very pleased with the speed of results in this research project,"
said Prof. Dr. Ferdinand Panik, Xcellsis managing director and head of
DaimlerChrysler's fuel cell project.  "This is a good example for the
versatility of fuel cell technology.  Due to the expense of multi-fuel
technology, we will continue to work on a methanol reformer as our first
priority, as this is the most advanced technology today.  But we will also
monitor development of multi-fuel reformers."
    The development of this power plant in just over a year was due to a
combination of DaimlerChrysler and Xcellsis' expertise in designing fuel
processors and complete fuel cell systems along with Shell's proprietary
Catalytic Partial Oxidation (CPO) technology.  The main aim of the project was
the development of a completely new compact and integrated gasoline reformer
as the central part of the fuel processor.
    "We have shown that the concept of gasoline powered fuel cell vehicles is
viable", said Don Huberts, Chief Executive Officer of Shell Hydrogen.  "We
will continue to develop this exciting technology, which holds great promise
for enabling fuel cell vehicles to rapidly enter the market, while using the
existing fuels infrastructure and filling stations."  With these results, the
joint research project will be completed Feb. 28 and each organization can
pursue commercial applications for the technology.
    Shell and DaimlerChrysler continue to work together in the California Fuel
Cell Partnership, a government/industry partnership to demonstrate fuel cell
vehicles under real-world conditions.   The two companies also participate in
the "Iceland Project," a consortium of companies and the Iceland government
working to convert Iceland from a fossil-fuel based infrastructure to hydrogen
fuel.