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Geoffrey Ballard

"It will take a combined effort of academia, government, and industry to bring about the change from a gasoline economy to a hydrogen economy. The forces are building and progress is being made. It is of major importance that a change of this magnitude not be forced on unwilling participants, but that all of us work together for an economically viable path to change." 
— Geoffrey Ballard (1932-2008)

With passion and determination over the years, Ballard became a leader for PEM fuel cell technology, delivering products and services which have the Power to Change the World®

Ballard Milestones

2020

  • Fuel cell electric vehicles powered by Ballard have now driven over 50 million kilometers – enough to circle the globe 1,250 times
  • Ballard launches high performance fuel cell module, the FCwave™, for marine applications

2019

  • Ballard celebrates 40-year corporate anniversary
  • Ballard launches 8th generation high performance fuel cell module, the FCmove™, for heavy-duty motive applications
  • Ballard to establishes fuel cell Center of Excellence in Europe to serve marine market with zero-emission solutions

2018

  • Ballard signs historic strategic collaboration with Weichai Power to advance the company’s China strategy
  • Ballard launches next-generation high performance liquid-cooled fuel cell stack, the FCgen®-LCS, for heavy-duty motive market

2017

  • Ballard becomes the first fuel cell company to power buses for more than 10 million cumulative kilometers of revenue service.

  • Ballard and Siemens sign $9M multi-year development agreement for fuel cell engine to power Mireo® commuter train

  • Shanghai Edrive, division of Broad-Ocean, commissions the first facility for Chinese produced Ballard fuel cell modules

2016

  • Strategic partnership formed with Zhongshan Broad-Ocean Motor Co., Ltd. of China.
  • Formation of a joint venture with Guangdong Nation-Synergy Hydrogen Power Technology Co. Ltd to produce fuel cell stacks in China.
  • First 22 of 300 fuel cell buses planned for deployment in the cities of Foshan and Yunfu, China begin operation. Strategic partnership formed with Zhongshan Broad-Ocean Motor Co., Ltd. of China with an equity investment of $28.3M.

2015

  • $5M strategic investment by Nisshinbo Holdings Inc.
  • Launch of Ballard's 7th generation FCveloCity®-HD module for motive applications.
  • Acquisition of Protonex Technology Corporation (US).

2014

  • Acquisition of fuel cell IP portfolio from United Technologies Corporation.

2013

  • Ballard signs a long-term engineering services contract to advance Volkswagen AG fuel cell automotive research program.
  • $4M strategic investment in Ballard by South Africa’s Anglo American Platinum Limited.

2010

  • Acquisition of Dantherm Power (DK) which became Ballard Power Systems Europe.

2009

  • Deployment of 20 Ballard-powered fuel cell buses in Whistler, BC in conjunction with the 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games. The fleet surpassed one million kilometers in operation in 2011.

2008

  • Ballard divests automotive development division to partners Daimler AG & Ford Motor Company.

2005

  • The fleet of 33 Ballard-powered fuel cell buses operating in Europe, Iceland and Australia surpass one million kilometers of revenue service.

2003

  • Deployment of 30 fuel cell buses in revenue service operating in ten European cities: Amsterdam, Barcelona, Hamburg, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Porto, Reykjavik, Stockholm, and Stuttgart. In addition, three fuel cell buses are deployed in Perth, Australia and three in Beijing, China.

1998

  • Chicago Transit Authority and BC Transit (Vancouver) each deploy three Ballard-powered fuel cell buses in revenue service for a two year demonstration and testing program.

1995 

  • Ballard listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market.
  • Ballard fuel cell stack achieved a power density of 700 watts per kilogram.

1993

  • First fuel cell bus presented by Ballard in Vancouver, Canada.
  • Collaboration agreement between Ballard and Daimler-Benz for the joint development of a compact, high power density fuel cell stack.
  • Ballard IPO listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX).

1992

  • Development of a 90 kW fuel cell engine for transit buses.

1991

  • Commencement of a joint program between Ballard, General Motors and the US Department of Energy for the development of a fuel cell powered passenger vehicle.

1990

  • Development of a 5 kW fuel cell stack.

1989

  • Ballard Power Systems Inc. is incorporated in British Columbia, Canada.

1986

  • Development of the first Ballard fuel cell stack operating on pressurized air.

1983

  • In the course of investigating environmentally-clean energy systems with commercial potential, Ballard began working on the development of PEM fuel cells.

1979

  • Ballard Research Inc. is founded by Geoffrey Ballard, Keith Prater and Paul Howard to conduct research and development of high-energy lithium batteries.

 

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