Environmental Benefits:
- Air quality improvements : no toxic tailpipe emissions/only water vapour
- Greenhouse gases emission reductions: with the potential to fully decarbonise public transport when hydrogen is generated from renewables
- Noise reduction: fuel cell electric buses are quiet
Fuel cell electric buses are hybrid electric buses using fuel cells and batteries to power the electric motor(s).
There are different types of fuel cell electric buses:
Standard buses (12 or 13 meter)
1) buses with a small battery and a large fuel cell ( for instance 120 kW)
2) buses with a supercapacitor (instead of a battery) and a fuel cell (for instance 75kW)
3) buses with a large battery and a fuel cell as range extender
Articulated buses (18 meter buses)
4) buses with a larger battery and a fuel cell as range extender
Fuel Cell Electric Buses have been successfully trialled for over a decade. The hybridised drive trains (battery and fuel cell) used in current fuel cell electric bus technology have achieved tremendous developments over the first fuel cell bus generation.
The technology that is being demonstrated today has little in common with the first fuel cell electric bus generation developed early 2000’s. There has been major improvements in efficiency, range, refuelling speeds and availability of refuelling stations since then, mainly thanks to the hybridised powertrains (battery and fuel cell), proving that the technology has reached another step closer to its commercialisation.
At this stage the fuel cell sus sector bridges the gap between fuel cell electric bus demonstration and broader commercialization.
3Emotion stands for Environmentally friendly Efficient Electric Motion. The project will bridge the gap between current fuel cell bus demonstration projects and larger scale dep
Solaris : deployed in Hamburg
Fuel cell electric buses comply with demanding urban bus service operation.
Among the zero-emission powertrain options:
- fuel cell electric buses have the longest range (> 300 km) / no need to return to the depot during daily service
- shortest refuelling times (< 10 min)
- a performance comparable to conventional buses (speed and accelaration)
- Fuel cell electric buses hybrid are electric buses
- A hybrid vehicle uses two or more distinct types of power, such as:
- There are two different types of hybrid systems
The High V.LO-City project aims at accelerating the integration of a new generation of FCH buses (14 FC buses will be operating in Scotland (UK), Liguria (IT) and Flanders (BE)) in public transport fleets by demonstrating the technical and operational quality, their value in creating a clean and highly attractive public transport.
Van Hool bus - 13 m: deployed in Antwerpen, Aberdeen, Antwerp, Olso and Cologne
Evobus (Daimler) - 12 m: deployed in Aargau, Bozen, Milan, Stuttgart, Karlsruhe
- a tool to comply with EU, national and local regulations on low-carbon mobility and better air quality (f.e. EU air quality directive or local ambitions to clean bus fleets).
- a long term strategy focussed on reducing vulnerability to fossil fuel imports
- offers a storage solution to volatile local renewable energy that can be used as a fuel
HyTransit funds 6 hydrogen buses in the citie of Aberdeen. The Aberdeen Hydrogen Bus Project is made up of two separate European funded projects, High Vlo City, which funds 4 buses and HyTransit which funds 6 buses, both of which are supported by the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCHJU).
Fuel Cell buses are very comfortable for passengers and drivers due to the
- lack of vibration
- smooth driving experience
and for the drivers, the traction power allows a quick start of the bus, even when it is full.
Wright bus: Deployed in London
The CHIC project is demonstrating the readiness of fuel cell electric buses for widespread commercial deployment in 8 European Countries/9cities (Argau, Bozen Milan, Olso, London, Milan, Hamburg, Cologne, Whistler)
Society is moving towards a low carbon future. Engaging now:
- means benefits from co-financing supporting schemes from local, national and EU level
- allows the development of in-house expertise and infrastructure for the technologies required
- means receiving information on lessons learned from previous demonstration projects
- improves the image of the transport operator
The HyFLEET:CUTE project has involved the operation of 47 hydrogen powered buses in regular public transport service in 10 cities on three continents (Amsterdam, Barcelona, Beijing, Hamburg, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Perth, Reykjavi). Its aim was to diversify and reduce energy consumption in the transport system
The Clean urban Transport for Europe (CUTE) was a European project which saw the deployment and testing of 27 Citaro fuel cell buses – three buses in each of nine cities in Europe (Hamburg, London
The hydrogen tanks are usually stored on the roof of the bus, while the fuel cell and electric engine are located at the back of the bus.
The infographic above represents a Van Hool fuel cell bus
