Calif. Energy Commission approves New Flyer fuel-cell demo project
The purpose of the program is to encourage demonstration of advanced technologies and help develop commercial vehicles that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, displace petroleum fuel demand, stimulate economic development and enhance market acceptance that will lead to commercial production.
New Flyer of America Inc., a subsidiary of New Flyer Industries Inc., announced that the California Energy Commission (CEC) approved a $2.1 million grant to conduct an advanced demonstration project involving a New Flyer Xcelsior® electric transit bus with a Hydrogenics CelerityPlus fuel cell. A notice of the proposed award was initially announced in April 2015.
The purpose of the CEC-approved Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program (ARFVTP) is to encourage demonstration of advanced technologies and help develop commercial vehicles that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, displace petroleum fuel demand, stimulate economic development and enhance market acceptance that will lead to commercial production.
Similar to the commercially available zero-emission New Flyer Xcelsior battery-electric buses, the hydrogen fuel-cell demonstration bus will use a Siemens ELFA® electric drive motor for propulsion. However, instead of storing electricity delivered from the power grid in battery packs on the bus, fuel cells use hydrogen gas and air to produce electricity directly on-board the bus. With water vapor as the only by-product and with no tail pipe emissions, a New Flyer Xcelsior fuel-cell bus can reduce an estimated 115 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.
With the fuel cell on board, the bus has the ability to yield operating ranges longer than pure battery-electric buses, plus hydrogen fuel tanks on the bus can be refilled in less time than recharging batteries from plug-in electric chargers.
The delivery marks the first car in a 374‑vehicle order and begins the arrival of a new generation of higher‑capacity, more reliable, and more comfortable trains for one of the country’s busiest commuter rail systems.
Vehicles that improperly use busways and bus lanes, block bus stops, or illegally double-park will receive warning notices in the mail for an initial period of 60 days, followed by summonses thereafter.
The project, finalized on February 12, provides the city with two different configurations of high-definition cameras to outfit 16 buses in the Pretzel City Area Transit fleet.
The proposed acquisition of a company with deep digital expertise and expected 2026 revenues of over $220 million marks a significant step in Hitachi Rail’s strategy to operate as a leading global digital mobility player, the company said.
The board authorized a five-year contract, with two one-year options, to Tolar Manufacturing Company Inc., for the fabrication and installation of upgraded passenger amenities at bus stops across the DART Service Area.
As motorcoaches navigate increasingly congested urban corridors filled with pedestrians, cyclists, scooters, and distracted drivers, safety leaders across the industry are confronting a growing challenge: visibility.
