Skip to main content

JV to develop and manufacture fuel cell systems in Japan

Intelligent Energy, a specialist in clean power systems, and the Suzuki Motor Corporation have announced the creation of a joint venture company called Smile FC System Corporation, to develop and manufacture air-cooled fuel cell systems for a range of industry sectors.
March 16, 2012 Read time: 2 mins

4011 Intelligent Energy, a specialist in clean power systems, and the Suzuki Motor Corporation have announced the creation of a joint venture company called Smile FC System Corporation, to develop and manufacture air-cooled fuel cell systems for a range of industry sectors. The joint venture also includes a non-exclusive license agreement that gives Suzuki access to Intelligent Energy’s fuel cell technology for its next generation of environmentally friendly fuel cell vehicles.

Under the terms of the contract, both companies will take a 50 per cent stake in the joint venture. Smile FC System Corporation will be led by Osamu Honda, executive VP and representative director for Suzuki Motor Corporation, who will become president of the JV which will be headquartered in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka, with operations initially based in Yokohama, Japan.

According to Intelligent Energy’s Phil Caldwell, newly appointed to the board of Smile FC System, “This joint venture is the latest exciting development in the successful relationship between Intelligent Energy and Suzuki, which has previously resulted in the Crosscage motorcycle and the Suzuki Burgman fuel cell scooter. It is a big step towards the mass production of automotive fuel cell systems.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Major improvements for wheeled loaders and excavators
    April 24, 2013
    Excavators and wheeled loaders benefit from new engine technology - Mike Woof reports. Competition is tough in the market for crawler excavators and wheeled loaders. These production machines account for a significant percentage of the entire construction equipment market worldwide and the segment also has the widest array of competing manufacturers. In the past, European, Japanese and US manufacturers dominated this sector but in the last 20 years South Korean companies have built significant market shares
  • Trimble Dimensions 2012 exhibits revolutionising construction technology
    December 14, 2012
    More than 3,500 visitors from 80 countries attending Trimble Dimensions 2012 gained a vital insight into how information technology is revolutionising working practises in, among other fields, heavy civil construction, building construction, surveying, mapping and GIS, and transport and logistics Guy Woodford was among those attending the three-day event at The Mirage hotel in Las Vegas, USA Themed Transform the Way the World Works, Trimble Dimensions 2012 had new hardware and software launches aplenty, as
  • Aggregate Industries launches Foamix Eco
    March 4, 2024
    Aggregate Industries developed the new Eco product in partnership with Nynas, a biogenic bitumen supplier, and OCO Technology, a carbon-capture specialist.
  • The road to climate change mitigation starts at Highways UK
    February 17, 2020
    David Arminas explored climate change innovation on display at Highways UK in Birmingham, England