A fuel cell bus is a bus that uses a hydrogen fuel cell as its power source for electrically driven wheels, sometimes augmented in a hybrid fashion with batteries or a supercapacitor.
A few companies are conducting hydrogen fuel cell research and practical fuel cell bus trials. These include:
- Daimler AG, with thirty-six experimental units powered by Ballard Power Systems fuel cells completing a successful three-year trial, in eleven cities, in January 2007.
- Thor Industries (the largest maker of buses in the U.S.), based on UTC Power fuel cell technology
- Irisbus, based on UTC Power fuel cell technology
There are also fuel cell powered buses currently active or in production, such as a fleet of Thor buses with UTC Power fuel cells in California, operated by SunLine Transit Agency.
The first Brazilian hydrogen fuel cell bus prototype began operation in São Paulo during the first semester of 2009. The hydrogen bus was manufactured in Caxias do Sul, and the hydrogen fuel will be produced in São Bernardo do Campo from water through electrolysis. The programme, called "Ônibus Brasileiro a Hidrogênio" (Brazilian Hydrogen Autobus), includes three additional buses.
Currently, the town of Whistler in British Columbia, Canada owns and operates the largest fuel-cell bus fleet in the world, having been put in operation for the 2010 Winter Olympics.
The Fuel Cell Bus Club is a global cooperative effort in trial fuel cell buses. Ford began leasing E-350 shuttle buses in late 2006.
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A fuel cell bus in Perth, Western Australia
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Toyota's FCHV-BUS at the Expo 2005
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Mercedes-Benz (Daimler AG) Citaro fuel-cell bus in Aldwych, London, on 19 October 2005
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An elevated view of London's first HyFLEET:CUTE hydrogen fuel cell bus, showing the six roof mounted hydrogen fuel tanks, looking down from the high level concourse at Tower Gateway Docklands Light Railway station.
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Tecnobus Gulliver U520 ESP run by German transport company Rheinbahn
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