Cracking 300 kays... without a drop of petrol

In what could be construed as a milestone for zero-emissions cars, Ford aims to be the first Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to develop a hydrogen fuel-cell car that will crack 200mph (320km/h).

The vehicle the blue oval is preparing for the task is dubbed the Ford Fusion Hydrogen 999, and it's the product of a year-long collaborative effort between Ford's fuel cell team, Roush Racing, Ballard Power Systems and Ohio State University.

Powered entirely by hydrogen fuel cells, the radical Fusion will race during Bonneville Speed Week in August at the hallowed Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.

"It may sound cliche, but we're chasing a dream," said the car's lead engineer, Matt Zuehlk, in a prepared statement. "We see an opportunity to make history for Ford Motor Company, and it's extremely exciting."

If the vehicle achieves its goal at Bonneville, it won't be the first time that a Ford '999' sets a land speed record. In 1904, Henry Ford set a land-speed record at 91.37mph (147.0km/h) on a frozen-over Lake St. Clair with a car named '999'.

The exterior of the Fusion Hydrogen 999 looks like a standard Fusion with a few key differences. The 999 sits much lower, there are no exterior mirrors, and the traditional grille is absent as there's no radiator to feed air into.

"We have a different charter with this vehicle and that is to be fast, to be stable at high speeds and to have fun achieving a lofty goal for Ford Motor Company," said Zuehlk.

Zuehlk says that it may be possible for Ford to have a limited production fleet of fuel cell vehicles on the road in 10 to 15 years.

"It's a two-fold path that needs to be walked and walked efficiently," he said.

"We have to make the vehicles themselves commercially viable and less expensive, but it's also the infrastructure. Until you can go to the local fuel station and get hydrogen to fuel these vehicles, it's going to be hard to convince consumers to buy them."

To that end, Zuehlk says he and his team are working in tandem with the US Department of Energy, which is funding Ford's technology demonstration vehicles like the Edge with HySeries Drive.

"We want to help them understand that we're building vehicles that should fill a path to commercialisation by demonstrating a 'no compromises' vehicle for customers," Zuehlk explained. "The other piece of the puzzle is that the hydrogen infrastructure would be set in place to support these vehicles."

To comment on this article click here