GM in Fuel Cell Deal with Energy Dept.

Under the five-year program, the world's largest automaker will spend $44 million to deploy fuel cell demonstration vehicles in Washington D.C., New York, California and Michigan.

The Department of Energy will contribute the other half of the investment in the program, under an agreement that expires in September 2009.

In a separate commercial agreement, Shell Hydrogen, LLC will support GM by setting up five hydrogen refueling stations in Washington, D.C., New York City, between Washington D.C. and New York and in California.

Other program partners include the U.S. Army at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia, and Quantum Technologies in Lake Forest, California. Both will provide facilities for GM to store and maintain fuel cell vehicles.