Automotive Fuel Cell Cooperation
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive, Fuel cell technology |
| Founded | February 1, 2008 |
| Defunct | June 2018 |
| Headquarters | Vancouver , Canada |
Key people | Dr. Andreas Truckenbrodt (CEO until February 2014) |
| Products | Hydrogen fuel cell stacks for vehicles |
| Owner | Daimler AG (50.1%), Ford Motor Company (49.9%) (after 2009) |
Number of employees | 150 |
Automotive Fuel Cell Cooperation (AFCC) was a company specializing in automotive fuel cell technology, headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia. Established on February 1, 2008, it originated as a spin-off from Ballard Power Systems with the purpose of advancing fuel cell technology development. Following the separation, Ballard concentrated on applications outside the automotive sector, while AFCC, a privately owned enterprise employing approximately 150 staff members, focused on producing hydrogen fuel cell stacks for vehicles. The initial shareholders included Daimler holding 50.1%, Ford Motor Company with 30.0%, and Ballard owning 19.9%.
In 2009, Ford acquired Ballard’s shares in AFCC for $44.5 million, resulting in a revised ownership structure where Daimler AG (currently Mercedes-Benz Group) retained 50.1% and Ford held 49.9%. The fuel cell stacks developed by AFCC were integrated into the Mercedes-Benz F-Cell automobile released in 2010.
By 2013, AFCC’s stakeholders formed a tripartite partnership with Nissan Motor Company to collaboratively develop next-generation fuel cell technology. This initiative aimed to produce cost-effective fuel cell electric vehicles for the mass market by 2017. Within this alliance, AFCC was responsible for leading the research and development of automotive fuel cell stack products.
Dr. Andreas Truckenbrodt, who previously served as Daimler’s executive director for hybrid vehicle development, was appointed CEO of AFCC at its founding and remained in this role until February 2014.
Operations at AFCC were discontinued in June 2018, and much of the company’s equipment was subsequently sold to Ballard Power Systems in July of the same year.
External links
- Official website (archived)