Ballard to Supply 10,000 Fuel Cells to India

Fuel-cell companies, such as Ballard, have long been struggling to find a profitable use for the technology they have been developing for decades.

Ballard, founded in 1979, first introduced its fuel-cell technology at a vehicle demonstration in 1993, when automakers expected to have the technology ready in just a few years.

Mainstream fuel-cell vehicles have yet to materialize, and Ballard last year agreed to sell its automobile business to Daimler (DAI Quote) and Ford Motor Co. (F Quote). At the time, the company said it would retain the right to use automotive fuel-cell technology in nonautomotive applications and to pursue fuel-cell buses.

Other companies have been promising to bring fuel cells to consumer electronics for years, but also have hit obstacles.

Earlier this year, MTI MicroFuel Cells said it was developing fuel cells for extra-small tablet PCs and other portable devices. The company also is pursuing fuel cells for chargers, cell phones and digital cameras.

Meanwhile, as companies continue working to push fuel cells into mainstream applications such as electronics and cars, fuel cells have been finding their way into niche applications, such as backup power, professional video cameras and forklifts, as well as industrial and military equipment.