Ecotality buys Fuel Cell Store
Ecotality, a maker of onboard hydrogen fuel generators, has acquired Fuel Cell Store, Ecotality announced Thursday.
The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The acquired online fuel cell retailer currently has distributors in Japan, Russia, Italy and Portugal, as well as in the U.S.
Ecotality said in a statement that the deal will help expand its relationships with universities and leading fuel cell manufacturers as well as the hydrogen technology industry.
More to the point, Fuel Cell Store's network of distributors and retailers could help Ecotality develop customers for its Hydratus, a type of generator used to power
Ecotality showcased a municipal concept bus to promote the company's projects in February. It did not have the Hydratus installed but promoted hydrogen fuel as a viable energy alternative. Hydrogen fuel cell buses outfitted with the system will cost about $500,000 on the commercial market, according to a company estimate.
In a software-driven world, it's easy to forget about the nuts and bolts. Whether it's cars, robots, personal gadgetry or industrial machines, Candace Lombardi examines the moving parts that keep our world rotating. A journalist who divides her time between the United States and the United Kingdom, Lombardi has written about technology for the sites of The New York Times, CNET, USA Today, MSN, ZDNet, Silicon.com, and GameSpot. E-mail her at candacelombardi@gmail.com. She is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not a current employee of CNET. 
