Ford is delivering two hydrogen-powered Ford E-450 shuttles to the city of Las Vegas, which becomes the first city in the Western US to have such vehicles. Other places with such vehicles are Orlando (Airport Authority and Orlando Convention Center Central District). Canada is getting three in Ottawa and two in Vancouver.

The delivered shuttles are equipped with a 6.8-liter V10 that has been supercharged and modified to run on hydrogen only. Ford announces great advantages from these engines, which are internal combustion units, but are able to be hybridized for further pollution savings, plus all-weather capability.

The units were introduced by Mayor Oscar B. Goodman, Sue Cischke, Ford senior vice president of Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering, and Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), who helped to secure the federal grant allowing the city to lease the announced buses.

(Full press release after the jump)

Related:

• Ballard gets contract to supply fuel cells for British Columbia bus fleet
• Ford showing the Hydrogen ICE C-Max in Europe
• Ford says hydrogen engine is getting close to consumer ready

[Source: Ford]

Ford is really playing in all the alternative energy fields these days. They just had a big announcement (or a small one depending on how you figure it) about plug-in hybrids and said these PHEVs should be ready in 5-10 years. Ford was also proud of its Fusion 999 racer, powered by a hydrogen fuel cell. Aside from biofuels, what's left? hydrogen-powered ICEs. And guess what? Ford recently said this engine, which has been tested for a while in E-450 Hydrogen shuttle buses, will soon be ready for customers. It was almost exactly one year ago today that Ford announced it would start selling these shuttles.

Ford started making the H2ICE shuttles last summer, and they don't come cheap - $250,000 is the going rate - but they have a much cleaner tailpipe than cheaper gasoline-powered buses; they get better mileage, too. iTWire writer WIlliam Atkins doesn't give us a lot of details in his article on Ford's happiness with its hydrogen engine plans, just that "Ford hopes to begin mass production of these vehicles for the U.S. driving public." That leaves us with more questions than hope, if you ask me.

Related:

• Ford of Canada sends first hydrogen ICE van to Parliament
• Ford to offer hydrogen ICE shuttle buses to customers this year
• Ford will start making fleet of hydrogen-powered buses this month

[Source: iTWire / William Atkins]

Remember that Ford Fusion land speed record we told you about in May? Ford has finally released more information about its plans to head out to Bonneville with a specially-designed Ford Fusion, the Hydrogen 999, to try and break the record for an production-based fuel cell powered vehicle. Ohio State University currently holds the unlimited land speed record for an electric vehicle when the school team managed to go 315 mph in the first Buckeye Bullet, the BB1. OSU will head out to the Salt Flats with Ford in the new BB2 for another go.

OSU, Ballard and Roush are working with Ford on the Hydrogen 999, with OSU supplying the 770 hp electric motors and Ballard Power Systems the fuel cells. The driver in the record attempt will be Ford retiree Rick Byrnes, a veteran Bonneville racer.

We'll be watching the news between now and August 10 (when the teams head out to Bonneville) for more updates. You can read Ford's announcement after the jump.

[Source: Ford]

Following the unveiling of the Airstream concept at the just concluded Detroit Auto Show, a Ford spokesman informed me that the drive-train of the concept had already been tested in an Edge, and promised me a drive. Unfortunately, the first opportunity popped up last week just before they shipped the vehicle to Washington for the DC Auto Show, and I couldn't fit it into my schedule. However, once they unloaded it in DC, George Achorn spotted it giving rides to some Washington luminaries ahead of the show. Hopefully I will be getting my ride opportunity next week. In the meantime go check out what George had to say at the Read link.

[Source: The Car Lounge]

While the Ford Focus FCV visited the AutoBlogGreen garage, we naturally had to shoot some video of the car in action. You can watach the video by clicking in the box above. In the clip, there's a tour around the car, some shots of the Focus in motion from inside and outside and a sample of the startup sequence. Make sure you check out the continuing in-depth series about the hydrogen-powered Focus FCV, starting with Part 1 and today's Part 2. Check back tomorrow for Part 3, driving performance.

(Editor's Note: to read part one of AutoblogGreen's Ford Focus review, click here. Part three will be available tomorrow)

When Ford engineer Mark Olance dropped the hydrogen Focus off at my office, we did a brief review of the vehicle's operation. He told me the biggest concern was the cold temperatures we're getting in Michigan at night right now. The Ballard 902 series fuel cell in this generation of Focus can be damaged if there is water in the cell that freezes. Mark warned me to keep the car in the garage overnight. The next generation of Ford fuel cell cars will no longer have this limitation.

The story continues after the jump.

The City of Taylor, Michigan and Ford are offering up ride and drive opportunities in Ford fuel cell vehicles tomorrow morning. The ride and drives are part of the opening of a hydrogen fueling station at the city's Department of Public Works (which sure doesn't sound like a publicly available hydrogen pump to me). Representative John Dingell and representatives of BP and the Department of Energy will also be present at the event, which takes place from 10 to 11 am. AutoblogGreen's Sam Abuelsamid will be attending and giving us a first-hand account. Stay tuned.

Ford's press release doesn't say which fuel cell vehicles will be available, but I'm guessing they'll be hydrogen Focuses. The city uses three of these cars, part of a fleet of 30 around the world. Ford is also working on a fleet of E-450 buses that run on hydrogen.

Related:

• Ford to add PZEV badge to California vehicles
• Ford to offer hydrogen ICE shuttle buses to customers this year

[Source: Ford]

Ford's gone and done it. The company announced yesterday that they would be the first in the world to offer customers hydrogen internal combustion engine vehicles. The H2ICE (Ford's name for the hydrogen ICE) will be a supercharged 6.8-liter V-10 that powers E-450 shuttle buses and will be available later this year. The company's assembly line started rolling yesterday to get the buses ready. Ford's announcement says that the H2ICE "can also be easily hybridized for further gains in fuel efficiency" but doesn't say that these hybrids will be made available. Ford and BMW are the only two major automakers seriously working on hydrogen ICE technology.

[Source: Ford Motor Company, hat tip to Alexander Drummond]