Ballard Power Systems (TSE:BLD; NASDAQ:BLDP), announced today that its Transportation Division has signed a three-year agreement valued at $69.1-million (US $43.9-million) with alliance partner Ford Motor Company of Dearborn, Michigan. Under the terms of the agreement, Ballard will supply Ford with fuel cell engines and related engineering and support services.

"This $69.1-million order for the development of fuel cell engines is in addition to Ford´s September order of $34.5-million, and brings Ford´s total recent orders to over $100-million," said Firoz Rasul, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "This new order is further confirmation of Ford´s commitment to Ballard and to the commercialization of fuel cell vehicles."

"We are proud to be an integral part of Ford´s fuel cell vehicle program," said Dr. Andreas Truckenbrodt, Ballard´s Vice-President, Transportation. "This is the first order under our 20-year exclusive purchase agreement with Ford for fuel cell engines."

Ballard Power Systems is recognised as the world leader in developing, manufacturing and marketing zero-emission proton exchange membrane ("PEM") fuel cells for use in transportation, electricity generation and portable power products. Ballard´s Transportation Division is developing, manufacturing and marketing complete fuel cell engines for the transportation market. Ballard´s Electric Drive and Power Conversion Division is developing, manufacturing and marketing electric drive trains for both fuel cell and battery powered electric vehicles, and power conversion equipment for microturbines and other distributed generation. Ballard´s Power Generation Division is developing, manufacturing and marketing fuel cell power generation equipment for markets ranging from 1-kilowatt portable power products to larger stationary power generation products. Ballard´s Material Products Division is a Tier 1 automotive supplier of friction materials for power train components to General Motors and Borg Warner, as well as a supplier of gas diffusion layer materials to the fuel cell industry. Ballard Power Systems¿ proprietary fuel cell technology is enabling automobile, electrical equipment and portable power product manufacturers to develop environmentally clean products for sale. Ballard is partnering with strong, world-leading companies, including DaimlerChrysler, Ford, ALSTOM and EBARA, to commercialise BALLARD® fuel cells. Ballard has also supplied fuel cells to Honda, Nissan, Volkswagen, Yamaha, Cinergy, Coleman Powermate and Matsushita Electric Works, among others.

Ballard´s common shares are listed on The Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbol "BLD" and on the Nasdaq National Market System under the symbol "BLDP". Ballard, the Ballard logo and Power to Change the World are registered trademarks of Ballard Power Systems Inc.

Ballard Power Systems, Inc

Ballard Power Systems, Inc

More from Ballard Power Systems, Inc