[IMAGE]DesignLineEcosaver-2.jpg[/IMAGE] On Monday, DesignLine Corp. announced that it received a grant from the Federal Transit Administration for a demonstration project involving its EcoSaver Hybrid Electric Fuel Cell Bus. Partners on this demonstration project include Ohio State University, The Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE), and Ballard Power Systems.

The grant's focus combines DesignLine's existing lightweight chassis and robust, mature hybrid-drive train system with an advanced Ballard fuel cell, further chassis mass improvement research and next generation component development.

Under the grant, DesignLine will work with Ballard and CTE to integrate, validate and test the vehicle. Ohio State University will then demonstrate the resulting bus on its campus for 12 months, analyzing performance and operational data.

Giorgio Rizzoni, director of Ohio State's Center for Automotive Research, says the center will support the demonstration project through the technical expertise of its faculty and researchers and through the facilities of its Center of Excellence for Electric and Plug-In Vehicle Technology, including a heavy-duty chassis dynamometer and energy storage system and high-voltage power electronics test facilities.

"Ohio State's Center for Automotive Research has been the site of a hydrogen refueling station, which will be used in this project, since 2006, and we have been involved in research and development related to the electrification of commercial vehicles for 10 years," Rizzoni said.