The Ford Focus Fuel Cell Vehicle (FCV) represents Ford's commitment to advancing the use and development of alternative-fuel technologies. It is one of the industry's first hybridized fuel cell vehicles combining the improved range and performance of hybrid technology with the overall benefits of a fuel cell. Ford has been conducting fuel cell research for more than 10 years and believes fuel cell vehicles could be commercially viable by the middle of the next decade.

Knowledge gained engineering Ford's Escape Hybrid and Mercury Mariner Hybrids has been shared between the FCV vehicle engineering team and the people working on both Ford gasoline powered hybrids on the road today, as well as future gasoline hybrids Ford will sell.

"The engineers who work on the Focus FCV work hand in hand with those developing our gasoline hybrids," said Mary Ann Wright, director of Sustainable Mobility Technologies and Hybrid Programs for Ford Motor Company. "The knowledge we gain by engineering these cars not only benefits our expertise in innovative fuel cell propulsion technology, it also will help us deliver even better gasoline hybrids in the near term."

Ford is actively engaged in the development of four promising future alternatives to today’s gasoline engines including, clean diesels, gasoline-electric hybrids, hydrogen internal combustion engines (H2ICE) and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCV).

The Focus FCV is the most sophisticated environmental vehicle Ford has ever developed and its success is an important milestone in Ford's long-term strategy to move toward hydrogen and alternative-fuel powered cars and trucks as viable consumer transportation options.

The Focus FCV looks and drives like other Focus sedans on the road today, but appearances can be deceiving. Although it is designed to look like any other car on the road, under the hood of the Focus FCV is a sophisticated hybrid electric powertrain. Tucked under the floorpan is a hydrogen fuel cell and auxiliary energy system that supplies electricity to the powertrain. A hydrogen tank in the trunk carries the car’s renewable hydrogen fuel.

The Ford Focus FCV uses a fuel cell powertrain supplied by Ballard Power Systems, the world leader in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell technology. The FCV is hybridized with the addition of a nickel metal–hydride battery pack and a brake-by-wire electro-hydraulic series regenerative braking system. The fuel cell engine converts chemical energy into electric energy using hydrogen fuel and oxygen from air. The electric energy then powers the vehicle's electric drive motor, producing only water vapor and heat as by-products.

This year, Ford has delivered an evaluation fleet of Focus FCVs for placement in demonstration programs in the United States, Canada , and Germany . This includes three vehicles operated by Ford, five vehicles now in use in Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia ; four vehicles operating in Berlin , Germany ; five cars delivered to the Sacramento (Calif.) Municipal Utility District; five cars delivered to the State of Florida, five delivered in Michigan last week and the three cars delivered today to CARB, CEC and DGS. All of the programs are designed to promote development of hydrogen-based technologies.