In a significant milestone for the advancement of hydrogen fuel cell technology, General Motors (GM) and Honda have officially commenced production at their joint venture facility, FCSM.
This 50-50 collaboration marks the world’s first large-scale manufacturing venture dedicated to the production of fuel cells.
Established in Brownstown, Michigan, in January 2017, FCSM has been fueled by a joint investment of $85 million and has already generated 80 jobs at its 70,000-square-foot facility,” GM noted.
The state-of-the-art hydrogen power solutions manufactured at FCSM will be utilized across various product applications and business ventures by both GM and Honda.
FCSM President,Suheb Haq emphasized the historic nature of this achievement, stating, “This is a historic day for the industry as GM and Honda are the first full fuel cell system manufacturing joint venture to begin volume production of fuel cells for transportation and beyond.”
Mr Haq highlighted the commitment to creating high-quality, durable, and affordable hydrogen fuel cell systems for diverse applications and customers.
On his part, Tetsuo Suzuki, Vice President of FCSM, highlighted the collaborative strengths of Honda and GM, combining a mass production mindset with attention to detail and a focus on high quality.
“The joint efforts of both companies began in 2013, with engineers working on the co-development of the next-generation fuel cell system. Their collaboration not only improved fuel cell system performance but also doubled durability compared to the 2019 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell.To enhance cost-effectiveness, GM and Honda worked on economies of scale, advanced cell design, simplified auxiliary equipment, utilized common sourcing, and reduced the use of costly precious metals. As a result, the new fuel cell systems are one-third less expensive to manufacture than the 2019 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell system.”
GM also noted that FCSM has also prioritized quality and productivity, incorporating innovative methods for automating membrane-electrode-assembly production and fuel cell stack assembly. The joint venture brings together the expertise of both GM and Honda engineering teams, along with their relevant intellectual property, to create commercially viable hydrogen fuel cell systems for various zero-emissions propulsion and energy management applications.
