Paper: Honda, GM, BMW Plan Fuel-Cell Cars

Honda Motor, General Motors and BMW will together develop technologies for hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, the environmentally friendly cars of the next generation, a report said Thursday. Through the association, the three auto giants aim to standardize fuel-cell technologies in a bid to commercialize the vehicles worldwide, Japan's top-selling daily Yomiuri Shimbun said. They hope the collaboration will reduce development costs for fuel-cell technologies and also help standardize fuel nozzles and other parts related to a hydrogen supply system, said the daily, which did not identify its sources. The affiliation is likely to prompt other automakers to form alliances on fuel-cell vehicles, it said. Honda denied there were any concrete plans but said the company has been working with a consortium grouping GM, BMW and European auto-parts makers to develop filling systems for liquid hydrogen. Toyota and GM, the world's two top automakers, have been in talks to set up a fuel-cell vehicle joint venture this year but the Asahi Shimbun daily said last week they had decided to scrap the plan because of a disagreement on technology sharing. Fuel-cell vehicles generate no harmful emissions and are one step ahead of other hybrid vehicles which combine conventional internal combustion engines with electric motors.