Case Study
Fuel Cell Buses
Champion zero emission buses
Fuel Cell Buses
Public Transit Powered by Ballard
Fuel cells improve the range and performance of electric buses by generating onboard power from hydrogen to recharge the batteries. Today, most bus manufacturers offer fuel cell buses to transit agencies as a standard electric propulsion option.
Advantages of Fuel Cell Electric Buses
Zero tailpipe emissions
Hydrogen-powered vehicles use no harmful pollutants and emit only water vapor
Consistent power delivery
Delivering power to maintain speed on the most demanding routes and climates
Range of up to 350 miles/500km
Extended range for route and service flexibility
Can be refueled in less than 10 minutes
Rapid refueling ensures high utilization with scalable infrastructure
Rapid refueling ensures high utilization with scalable infrastructure
Scalable to minimize depot space and grid constraints
Proven durability, with fuel cell lifetime of more than 25,000 hours
Demonstrated through exceptional fuel cell stack lifetime of Ballard’s on-road products
Proven Solution for Transit Buses with FCmove®
Ballard’s motive modules have been designed for integration into advanced hybrid transit buses from 8-18 meters (35-60ft), including double-decker buses.
Lower life cycle cost
With improved efficiency, less maintenance, more robust components, and refurbishable stacks, FCmove™ products lead the industry with the lowest life cycle cost.
Simplified System Integration
This complete package, with all subsystems fully integrated, has interfaces located on one panel to provide easier access for connections, as well as maintenance.
High Performance
Fuel cell buses have the best operational efficiency with longer range, shorter refueling and minimum impact on service – offering a one-to-one replacement for diesel buses
Performance in Extreme Conditions
IP56-rated enclosure system guards against premature deterioration of key module components in extreme climates. Ballard’s fuel cell systems operate from -40°C to +50°C and freeze starts from -25°C.
Class-leading FCmove®-XD
Sustainability
Future of transit
Zero-emission buses are critical to the future of public transit globally. Hydrogen is ideal for centralized refueling of long range and transit fleets.
Quick refueling means buses have less downtime and higher utilization. In many cases, agencies can install hydrogen refueling infrastructure with a similar footprint to CNG refueling.
Proven
Ballard’s Experience
With more than 15 years on the road and millions of kilometers in passenger service, fuel cell buses have a proven performance, demonstrating reliable operation long daily drive cycles during all seasons and in challenging geographies. Today, there are more than 1,700+ fuel cell buses powered by Ballard deployed globally. These vehicles have achieved durability records with more than 35,000 hours of revenue service. This is equivalent to operating a bus on a 14-hour daily schedule, five days a week for more than eight years, with no significant maintenance to the fuel cell stack – a core engine component.
Fuel cell buses in transit operation in over 70 cities across the world
1,700+
Kilometers of bus distance
200M
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