Jan. 29, 2013—Daimler AG, Ford Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. have signed a three-way agreement intended to speed up the commercialization of fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) technology.

The goal of the collaboration is to jointly develop a common FCEV system, while reducing investment costs associated with engineering the technology. Through the partnership, the three companies plan to develop a common fuel cell stack and fuel cell system that each company can use in the launch of differentiated, separately branded FCEVs that do not produce any CO2 emissions while driving.

FCEVs are powered by electricity gained from hydrogen and oxygen, and emit only water while driving, according to Nissan Motor Co. FCEVs are complementary to today’s battery-electric vehicles, and will help expand the range of zero-emission transportation options available to consumers.

The collaboration is expected to lead to the launch of the world’s first affordable, mass-market FCEV as early as 2017.

“We are convinced that fuel cell vehicles will play a central role for zero-emission mobility in the future,” said Thomas Weber, member of Daimler AG’s board of management. “Thanks to the high commitment of all three partners, we can put fuel cell e-mobility on a broader basis. This means with this cooperation we will make this technology available for many customers around the globe.”

Nissan Motor Co. said the collaboration sends a clear signal to suppliers, policymakers and the industry to encourage further development of hydrogen refueling stations and other infrastructure necessary to allow the vehicles to be mass-marketed.

“Fuel cell electric vehicles are the obvious next step to complement today’s battery electric vehicles as our industry embraces more sustainable transportation,” said Mitsuhiko Yamashita, executive vice president of Nissan Motor Co. “We look forward to a future where we can answer many customer needs by adding FCEVs on top of battery EVs within the zero-emission lineup.”