New Flyer of America Inc. and New Flyer Industries Canada ULC unveiled the Xcelsior CHARGE H2™ — its fuel cell-electric heavy-duty transit bus — and announced that both the 40-foot and 60-foot model have successfully completed the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Model Bus Testing Program at Altoona, Pennsylvania.

The announcement makes the Xcelsior CHARGE H2™ the first 60-foot fuel cell-electric bus to complete Altoona, and establishes New Flyer as the only manufacturer to offer both a 40-foot and 60-foot fuel cell-electric model that qualifies for federal funding.

The Xcelsior CHARGE H2™ are vehicles that use environmentally-friendly hydrogen and fuel-cell technology to create electricity and charge batteries for extended-range zero-emission transit operations, saving 85-175 tons of greenhouse gas per year from tailpipe emissions compared to a traditional diesel bus. With a range of up to 300 miles, the bus can be refueled in six to 20 minutes depending on the model and operating conditions, and requires no overnight plug-in electrical re-charging. The Xcelsior CHARGE H2™ also features regenerative braking while decelerating, which recharges the batteries and reduces energy consumption for extending range. The only tailpipe output is clean water vapor.

New Flyer has over 50 years of experience manufacturing zero-emission buses (ZEBs). It introduced its next-generation battery-electric bus, the Xcelsior CHARGE™ in 2017. With the addition of the Xcelsior CHARGE H2™, New Flyer offers the most diverse lineup of commercially available zero-emission transit buses in North America, and remains the only North American manufacturer to provide all three types of ZEB propulsion systems: trolley-electric, all battery-electric, and fuel-cell electric.

New Flyer is currently delivering 25 Xcelsior CHARGE H2™ fuel cell-electric buses to three transit agencies as part of California Climate Investments (CCI). CCI is a statewide initiative that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment, particularly in disadvantaged communities, low-income communities, and low-income households.

“We anticipate fuel cells for extended range will complement all battery-electric technology, not only in transit, but other industries such as commercial trucks,” said Chris Stoddart, president, New Flyer.

New Flyer currently has significant ZEB orders from major cities including Toronto, Boston, Minneapolis, New York, Portland, and Vancouver. In California alone, New Flyer has sold nearly 80 battery-electric buses, with active programs in Coachella Valley, Los Angeles, Oakland, Orange County, and San Diego. Since 1972, New Flyer has delivered over 10,000 buses to the state of California, beginning with zero-emission trolley-electric buses.