Fuel Cell Bus Trial

This page contains information on some fuel cell bus trials.

Perth, Western Australia, a Fuel Cell Bus Club member, agreed to share information with the following two trials:

  • 1998 - Chicago and Vancouver, there were two-year three-bus demonstration projects. The six buses in those trials, which used an earlier version of Ballard fuel cell than the Fuel Cell Bus Club's trial and different Daimler bus bodies, carried more than 200,000 passengers and traveled over 118,000 kilometers (73,000 mi).
  • 2004–present Oakland and California a two-year three-bus trial. During this period, AC Transit and Sunline Transit (Palm Springs, California) have been operating three buses and one bus respectively. This trial has shown promising results and has been extended until new buses listed below are delivered.
  • 2004–2006 Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (Santa Clara, California) operated 3 buses Manufactured by Gilig Corp of Hayward California which were equipped with Ballard fuel cells. VTA reported in the press that these buses were too expensive to operate and that they would not continue with their trial.
  • Japan, operating FCHV-BUS (Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle) manufactured by Hino Motors and Toyota Motors under Japan hydrogen fuel cell project.
    • 2003–2004 – Tokyo, one year and four months one-bus demonstration operated by Toei Bus.
    • 2005 – Expo 2005 Aichi, six-month eight-fleet trial as inter-site shuttle. During Expo, 8 FCHV-BUSes carried one million visitors and traveled about 130,000 kilometers.
    • 2006-Tokoname, Aichi, ex-Expo 2005 fleets are leasing 1 to Chita Noriai as route bus in Chūbu Centrair International Airport island, and two to Chubu Sky Support as ramp bus in Centrair.
  • 2009 – Oakland, California. A 12-bus trial program in this city in the San Francisco Bay Area is underway at AC Transit which features buses specially designed by Van Hool of Belgium. These buses use near ambient pressure, PEM fuel cells manufactured by the Hartford, Connecticut-based United Technologies Corporation (UTC). AC Transit is joined by operating partners Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) of Santa Clara County, SamTrans of San Mateo County, Golden Gate Transit of Marin and Sonoma counties, and San Francisco Municipal Railway (SF Muni) in the City and County of San Francisco which will operate the buses occasionally. UTC is also purchasing four additional buses for use in Hartford, Connecticut under AC Transit's contract with Van Hool. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2009 and be completed in 2010.

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