Oakland, Calif.-based AC Transit exercised options for four additional PureMotion Model 120 fuel cell systems for its next-generation hybrid-electric fuel cell buses from UTC Power, a United Technologies Corp.          

The agency placed the largest single fuel cell bus order in U.S. history, in early 2008, by ordering eight Van Hool hybrid-electric buses with UTC Power fuel cell systems. The combined order of 12 new buses will be delivered by Van Hool from late 2009 through 2010. 

AC Transit is currently operating three Van Hool hybrid-electric buses with UTC Power fuel cell systems. Since 2006, it has purchased fuel cell powerplants exclusively from UTC Power and is the company’s largest PureMotion customer. 

Fuel cell buses have a significant effect on reducing greenhouse gases, ranging from a 43 percent reduction over diesel buses if hydrogen is supplied from the reformation of natural gas, up to a 100 percent reduction when hydrogen is generated on-site from renewable sources like solar and wind power.

AC Transit’s first-generation fuel cell buses with UTC Power fuel cell systems have demonstrated, on average, 70 percent better fuel economy than a control fleet of diesel buses.