California's GET Bus Adding New Flyer CHARGE H2s

The Golden Empire Transit District (GET bus) ordered five 40-foot New Flyer fuel cell-electric Xcelsior CHARGE H2™ heavy-duty transit buses, purchased off the California Department of General Services (CDGS) contract. It follows a prior (2020) GET bus purchase of five 40-foot fuel cell-electric Xcelsior CHARGE H2™ buses.

New Flyer was selected by CDGS as an approved supplier of electric vehicles in 2019. The CDGS contract simplifies potential future bus procurement for California local government agencies for up to five years. Both orders were supported by Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and state funds.

The buses deliver on the agency’s Zero-Emission Bus Rollout Plan, designed to transition its fleet to 100% zero-emission by 2040, in accordance with the California Air Resources Board’s Innovative Clean Transit regulation. GET bus is the mass transportation provider in Bakersfield, Calif., transporting more than six million passengers per year.

The Xcelsior CHARGE H2™ is a battery-electric vehicle using compressed hydrogen as an energy source and range extender, requiring only six to 20 minutes to refuel. Fuel cell-electric technology is fully zero-emission and an innovative way to obtain extended-range operation similar to existing transit vehicles. Built on New Flyer's proven Xcelsior® platform, the Xcelsior CHARGE H2™ can save 85 to 135 tons of greenhouse gas per year from tailpipe emissions compared to a diesel bus.