ENERGY

Ford, Chrysler Win U.S. Fuel Cell Contracts: The auto makers have been the awarded contracts as part of a federal effort to develop a new generation of vehicles to meet strict environmental standards and triple the fuel economy of gasoline-powered internal combustion engines, the nonprofit Fuel Cells 2000 group said. The Ford contract is for $13.8 million; Chrysler’s Pentastar Electronics Inc. contract is for $15 million. Fuel cells act like continuously renewed batteries, combining hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity and water, without combustion and its attendant pollution.