1.10.2002
French President Jacques Chirac visits GM stand in Paris

At the second press day of the Paris Motor Show, French President Jacques Chirac visited the GM stand. During his visit, he showed great interest in the Hy-wire concept and discuss the future of the hydrogen fuel cell propulsion with GM President and CEO Rick Wagoner and GME President Mike Burns.

At the second press day of the Paris Motor Show, French President Jacques Chirac visited the GM stand. During his visit, he showed great interest in the Hy-wire concept, the world's first drivable vehicle that combines a hydrogen fuel cell with by-wire technology.

The French President only stopped at the exhibition areas of manufacturers who displayed environmentally friendly vehicles. At the GM stand, he discussed the potential of fuel cell propulsion and zero emission vehicles with GM President and CEO Rick Wagoner.

Larry Burns, GM's Vice President of Research and Development and Planning, said, that GM is driving to have compelling and affordable fuel cell vehicles on the road by the end of the decade. With Hy-wire, GM has taken the technology as it exists today and packaged it into an innovative drivable vehicle comparable in size and weight to today's luxury automobiles. The whole fuel cell propulsion system is incorporated into the so-called skateboard chassis of Hy-wire which allows to put different bodies on top.

French President Chirac was particular interested in the drive-by-wire concept and was surprised about the lack of many mechanical elements like brake pedals in the Hy-wire concept. Hy-wire uses electrical signals instead of mechanical linkages or hydraulics to operate the electric motor, brakes and steering functions.