Ballard Power Systems, which designs and manufactures polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell engines for medium and heavy duty vehicles, has announced the acquisition of Arcola Energy, a UK-based systems engineering company specialising in hydrogen fuel cell powertrain and vehicle systems integration.
With more than 10 years of experience integrating Ballard fuel cell engines into powertrains and heavy duty vehicles including buses, refuse trucks and trains, Arcola currently has approximately 90 employees based in the UK. The company is working with local authorities, fleet operators and OEMs to meet their zero-emission targets. “We continue to focus on simplifying the fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) experience and ease implementation friction points for OEM customers and end-users,” said Randy MacEwen, Ballard’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “We are putting the customer at the heart of our strategy and investments. With the acquisition of Arcola, we will make it easier for existing and new OEM customers globally to offer FCEVs by providing stronger support for the integration of our fuel cell engines into their vehicle platforms, including powertrain integration, vehicle integration and application engineering.”
Dr Ben Todd, Founder and CEO of Arcola, added: “The entire Arcola team is thrilled to combine our shared passion for decarbonising mobility and our unique expertise in fuel cell powertrain integration with Ballard’s world leading PEM fuel cell technology and market position in heavy-duty mobility. Together, we will improve and optimise FCEV powertrain and vehicle performance, lower lifecycle costs, and simplify powertrain and vehicle systems integration and service for customers.”
