QUANTUM and Sumitomo Sign Agreement

IRVINE, Calif., April 22 -- QUANTUM Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, Inc. , announced today the signing of an agreement with Sumitomo Corporation (Tokyo Stock Exchange: 8053 JP, ADR: SSUMY/OTC), one of the world's leading trading and investment firms. Through this alliance, Sumitomo will have exclusive rights to represent QUANTUM to Japanese customers and to market QUANTUM's products for use in the global alternative fuel and fuel cell markets. Sumitomo will also manage product certification activities for QUANTUM's Japanese markets. The agreement also forms the basis for an option to expand this relationship to other Asia Pacific countries, and an option for Sumitomo to make a future strategic investment in QUANTUM.

"QUANTUM's presence in the Asia Pacific market is strategic to our long term growth. We are currently providing hydrogen and/or natural gas products to customers such as Toyota, Suzuki, and Hyundai," said Alan P. Niedzwiecki, President and CEO of QUANTUM. "I believe Sumitomo will add tremendous value in the expansion of QUANTUM's presence in this market. Having worked with Sumitomo in the past, I have an appreciation for their marketing and distribution capabilities and also recognize the strong value of this strategic relationship for QUANTUM."

Mr. Kazuaki Mori, Business Development Manager of Sumitomo Corporation said, "We are pleased to be working together as the exclusive distributor for QUANTUM, the world's technology and product leader in hydrogen and natural gas fuel systems. Japanese car makers are introducing some of the most advanced and highest quality products in the world, and need 10,000-psi (70MPa) hydrogen fuel storage systems for fuel cell vehicles, for which QUANTUM has achieved the only governmental certification. Furthermore, Sumitomo received Japan's governmental certification of all-composite natural gas tanks in 1997, which was the first such certification in Japan. Therefore, the collaboration between QUANTUM and Sumitomo will result in an effective and very strong partnership in Japan and potentially the larger Asian market."

Sumitomo Corp. is one of the world's leading global integrated trading companies established in 1919. As a Business Integration Enterprise, Sumitomo not only conducts commodity transactions or controls goods and service supply chain management in every industry from IT and biotech to retailer operations such as Eddie Bauer and Coach brand stores, but also serves as a coordinator for off-shore industrial plant construction projects, water front civil construction, and CATV or multi-media businesses. With over 180 offices in 85 countries, Sumitomo employs more than 30,000 people including 720 consolidated companies. Last fiscal year, Sumitomo Corporation completed US$78 billion (9,645 billion yen) in trading transactions. (English version web-site: http://www.sumitomocorp.co.jp/english/index.htm )

QUANTUM designs, manufactures and supplies components and integrated fuel systems to original equipment manufacturers for use in alternative fuel vehicles, fuel cell applications, and hydrogen refueling systems. These fuel cell applications include transportation and industrial vehicles, and stationary and portable power generation. QUANTUM's advanced fuel systems comprise the fuel storage, fuel metering, control, and injection of gaseous fuels to improve efficiency, enhance power output, and optimize emissions from fuel cell applications and internal combustion engines that operate on natural gas, propane, or hydrogen. QUANTUM is a member of the GM fuel cell alliance of fuel cell commercialization companies. More information about QUANTUM can be found on its website at www.qtww.com .

In other news, QUANTUM recently announce its intent to acquire Global Thermoelectric Inc. (TSX: GLE.TO). More information on this announcement can be found on QUANTUM's website under News & Events: http://www.qtww.com/news_events/index.shtml or on Global's website at www.globalte.com .

Certain matters discussed in this press release contain forward-looking information that involves risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from current trends. These include the growth of the fuel cell and alternative fuel vehicle markets, competition, the company's ability to design and market advanced fuel metering, fuel storage or electronic control products, the company's ability to meet customer specifications, Sumitomo's ability to perform as a distributor, and other such risks as cited in the company's Form 10 and Form 10-K and other documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by QUANTUM.