Ford runs fuel-cell Focus at Woodward Dream Cruise

DETROIT -- The Woodward Dream Cruise in suburban Detroit on Saturday, Aug. 19, will have several thousand hot rods, antiques, sports cars and muscle cars of every size, shape and color. The one thing they all will have in common is the fuel they use: gasoline.

But at least one car on Woodward Avenue will be emitting water vapor from its tailpipe, not carbon dioxide or oxides of nitrogen. It's a Ford Focus FCV powered by a fuel cell that runs on gaseous hydrogen. Its powertrain could be a staple of the Dream Cruise 25 years from now.

Ford has built a fleet of about 30 Focus FCVs that are being tested this year in several cities. So far, Ford has logged about 250,000 miles on the cars, spokesman Nick Twork said.

Ford plans to have engineers from its fuel cell team at its corporate display in Shain Park in Birmingham, Mich., to answer questions from the public during the cruise.

Last year's Dream Cruise attracted not only a wide variety of classics but also a few drivers concerned about the environment. One group of hybrid drivers featured about 30 Toyota, Honda and Ford vehicles.

Ford engineers won't be able to refill the hydrogen fuel tanks at the event. They must drive the cars about 15 miles to Dearborn, Mich., where Ford has its own hydrogen refueling station. The fuel cell Focus can drive between 160 and 200 miles on a tank of hydrogen.

"Fuel cells could be the next generation of technology," Twork said. "We acknowledge they are far off, but we are working on them. We want to show people that we have these cars and they are real."

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