Hydrogenics’ Fuel-Cell Series Hybrid Bus Cleared for Public Operation in Germany

1 December 2005

The hydrogen Midibus

Hydrogenics’ series hybrid fuel-cell Midibus has received public road certification from Germany’s TUV Rheinland Group, allowing the bus to be put into full public transit service in Germany.

The Hydrogenics Midibus uses a 10kW HyPM fuel-cell power module applied in a Technobus S.p.A. Gulliver electric midibus platform, thereby more than doubling the operational range of the battery-powered bus from 80 km (50 miles) to about 200 km (124 miles).

The fuel-cell and 72V alkaline battery system produces 25 kW of total power for the traction drive, which delivers 235 Nm of torque. Two roof-mounted tanks store a total of 5.8 kg of compressed hydrogen.

Maximum speed of the bus is 33 km/h (20.5 mph).

Hydrogenics is targeting the Midibus towards historical sites and city centers, as well as in industrial or municipal campus settings, such as fairs, exhibitions and airports, where stringent emissions regulations apply. Today there are approximately 600 battery-powered electric buses deployed in such settings in numerous European cities.

As an aside, Technobus itself has developed its own series-hybrid version of the Gulliver, but using a Perkins 4kW (5hp) engine (its smallest) as the genset. The result is also an approximate doubling of bus range.