Powering the Future: The Ballard Fuel Cell and the Race to Change the World

By Tom Koppel

Book Overview

Powering the Future tells the intriguing story of a tiny high-tech research company that developed one of the few truly revolutionary and transforming technologies of our era. Today, Ballard Power Systems is the world leader in fuel cell technology - a non-polluting energy source that could one day replace the internal combustion engine and power the cars of the future. Geoffrey Ballard and a handful of colleagues - at the outset little more than "three guys and a prayer" - brought this neglected technology to the world. On gritty determination and a shoestring budget, they took fuel cells out of the lab and into the mainstream of business. They made the fuel cell smaller, cheaper, and vastly more powerful over an astonishingly short time - actually melting down cables as they realized a fifty-fold increase in power output. Powering the Future not only chronicles the company's impressive rise against stiff odds and intense competition; it also teaches valuable lessons about vision and inspiration, creating a culture of loyalty and dedication, attracting and keeping talented people, and marketing and selling an underdog technology to the biggest players in the auto world. Powering the Future is the entertaining and inspirational account of how a tiny high-tech research company grew, and became poised to literally change the way we live.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0471644218
• ISBN13: 9780471644217
• Release Date: September 1999
• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
• Length: 276 Pages
• Weight: 1.38 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.3" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

excellent history and biography

This is an excellent history of the Ballard fuel cell and biography of Geoffrey Ballard, the man behind the Ballard fuel cell.The writing is excellent, and his ability to explain the super technical process of Hydrogen fuel cell technology, in terms that lay people can completly understand, keeps you from putting this book down.I really hope that Tom Koppel keeps up on this company, and the industry in whole, and writes another book as good as this one, keeping us updated on the supersonic speed of advancement in this Incredible field of energy.I loved this book.

Fuel Cells in Your Future

This book is a great case study in management and innovation. It shows once again that a small group of dedicated individuals can compete successfully against much larger competitors. Fuel cells have long been successful in space craft. Soon you will be able to use them in your vehicles and buildings. Utility power plants typically discard about 60% of the heat energy from fuel. A fuel cell in your home would provide electricity efficiently. Instead of discarding the heat, you could use the fuel cell to heat your water everyday and provide some winter space heating. A fuel cell in your vehicle will increase fuel efficiency and eliminate the need for oil changes.About 40 cubic miles of crude oil remain available for more than six billion people, and we are consuming more than one cubic mile each year. By helping to reduce fuel consumption, fuel cells will help us to delay and reduce the severity of the coming shortages of fossil fuels.

A great introduction to how the fuel cell evolved

Founder Geoff Ballard lived by the words "Dare to be in a hurry to change things for the better." Powering the Future is a story about Geoff Ballard and a small team of people that stuck together and pioneered PEM fuel cell technology. Ballard, the company, does not endorse the book because of the bad blood that existed between the new leadership and the old guard. It's hard to say who was right but the survival of the fuel cell required partnering with companies like DaimlerChrysler and Ford Motor Company. It also required a lot of PR talent that the the founder did not have. The book has an excellent overview of how a fuel cell works. Once you read it you will learn how fuel cells work and how the hydrogen economy can one day transform the world. Ballard, the company, continues to have awesome potential and a lot of talented people working there. I know because I work there too.

Wonderfully Timely, and on a Tremendous Topic of Interest

With great timing, the Author has delivered great insights into what possibly shall become one of THE most impressive developments of our day: making the fuel cell price-competitive with the oil-burning internal combustion engine. Having his easy-reading, often humorous, always trustworthy accounts of a technical evolution towards the latest Mark 900 Ballard PEM fuel cell engine is great fun. I highly recommend this Book to all. I only wish that there were similar books too, perhaps from this or from other authors, about Ballard's rivals like the FuelCell Energy MCFC fuel cell, the passive DMFC from DCH Technology and Manhattan Scientifics, the SOFC from Global Thermoelectric, the United Technologies PAFC unit from IFC, and those from Plug Power, Avista Corporation, Anuvu, Astris Energi, and a growing list of others. Perhaps the Author will do us the favor of a new Book, one that surveys rapid growth and notable accomplishments as we now move ahead, towards a Hydrogen Economy? Of course the topic of a Hydrogen Economy is a whole new topic unto itself, and one where Mr. Ballard (and his General Hydrogen Corp.) may soon again figure prominently.I suspect this great book will fire your interest in the fuel cell, as it certainly has done for me. Dr. Rob Wilder, rob@pacificwhale.org

How to enjoy car driving as well as enviromental protection

This is a fascinating book for people who are interested in technology as well as in enviroment. It is easy to read and to understand. In a lively way it tells us the story (always a "mystery") how a group of determined people are able to achive a technological break through and financial success. More than that: It gives us an idea how a technology, the fuell cell, is working and the way in which this technology will change our living in the cities within the comming decades: Cars moving around without pollution and without noise! It probably will be great funn. It was a pleasure reading this book. It actually enlarged my horizon.