WASHINGTON, D.C. — General Motors and DaimlerChrysler announced on March 28 that they have signed agreements with the Department of Energy to develop hydrogen fuel cell vehicles over the next five years, according to the Associated Press. Under the program, GM will spend $44 million on fuel cell vehicle demonstration fleets in Washington, New York, California, and Michigan. The Energy Department will also provide $44 million in a deal set to expire in September, 2009. GM also announced that Shell Hydrogen LLC will set up five hydrogen refueling stations in Washington, New York, California, and along the Eastern seaboard. The automaker said the U.S. Army at Fort Belvoir, Va., and Quantum Technologies in Lake Forest, Calif., would provide facilities for GM to store and maintain fuel cells. DaimlerChrysler, which has the largest fleet of fuel cell vehicles of any automaker, will invest more than $70 million in its partnership with the Energy Department, the company said. Under the agreement, DaimlerChrysler will place fuel cell vehicles with consumers, who will report on the performance of the vehicles. The company said that it was already testing 100 fuel cell vehicles in various places around the world.