TAYLOR, Mich. – BP and Ford Motor Co. have announced the opening of a new hydrogen fueling station in Taylor, Michigan, to fuel a fleet of Ford Focus fuel cell vehicles being used as official city vehicles, notes a press release.

“The opening of this station represents a step forward for hydrogen as a motor fuel,” said Gerhard Schmidt, vice president of research and advanced engineering at Ford Motor Company, at a press conference announcing the opening of the Taylor hydrogen station. “We have made much progress in hydrogen propulsion over the past 15 years and this is another excellent milestone to commemorate.”

U.S. Representative John D. Dingell (D-MI) joined Ford and BP officials at the press conference. “Hydrogen holds tremendous promise. The innovative minds at Ford are listening to the American consumer and working to develop energy efficient vehicles,” said Rep. Dingell, adding, “With BP providing hydrogen fuel, this event will provide a chance to see the future, right now.”

BP Hydrogen Business Development Manager Maria Curry-Nkansah commented during the press conference that the company is “committed to developing cleaner fuels,” adding, “With this station, we will continue our work to gain real-world experience in hydrogen fueling infrastructure and help build public awareness of this developing technology. This program is an example of how government, energy companies and the auto industry are working collaboratively to develop alternative fuels.”

Ford currently has a fleet of 30 hydrogen-powered Focus fuel cell vehicles on the road as part of a “worldwide, seven-city program to conduct real world testing of fuel cell technology,” notes the release. So far the fleet has accumulated more than 300,000 miles.