Twitter headlines« MIT Study Concludes US LDV Fleet Can Reduce Fuel Consumption by 2035 to Pre-2000 Levels | Main | Electro Energy to Continue Development of Ultra-High Energy Density Li-Ion Chemistry »
AC Transit Orders 8 Bus Fuel Cell Systems, Options 13 More
9 May 2008
AC Transit of Oakland, CA will purchase a minimum of eight 120 kW PureMotion Model 120 fuel cell systems from UTC Power, with options for an additional 13 units, to power AC Transit’s next-generation hybrid-electric, fuel cell buses, scheduled for delivery in 2009 and 2010. This is the largest procurement yet in the US of fuel cell power systems for public transport buses.
The new fuel cells come with a warranty period that can be enhanced to up to 10,000 hours of operation based on the fuel cells achieving certain defined performance milestones. AC Transit’s first-generation fuel cell buses feature an earlier model UTC Power fuel cell system with a warranty of 4,000 hours, in which fuel economy in diesel gallon equivalency has consistently been between 70% and 100% better than a control fleet of AC Transit diesel buses. (Earlier post.)
Our experience with UTC Power and their fuel cell design has been extraordinarily good. Not only have we realized significantly better fuel economy, but their unique design operates at near-ambient pressure resulting in a very quiet vehicle.
—Rick Fernandez, AC Transit’s General Manager
May 9, 2008 in Brief | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)
Comments
Posted by: SJC | May 09, 2008 at 11:38 AM
Correction, the ONSI fuel cells were PAFCs, but UTC is working on SOFCs as well now.
Posted by: SJC | May 09, 2008 at 01:30 PM
Fuel cell systems are all highly subsidized and will never pay back their actual costs. Even microturbines may be actually more well-to-wheel efficient, and those that operate on compresssed natural gas certainly are. Batteries are to the point that plug in hybrids can compete with fuel-cell buses in fuel efficiency and cost.
Small diesel engines, as used in european cars, have become as efficient as fuel cells when used in hybrid cars.
UTC makes very good cogeneration systems that could save a lot of CO2 and money for their owners if the proper government regulations were in place similar to Hawaii requiring solar water heaters. Contractors just put in the lowest bid heating and cooling systems for the developers who have no interest in reducing CO2 or the operating costs of the buildings owners...HG...
Posted by: Henry Gibson | May 09, 2008 at 03:57 PM
It shouldnt be long before they get good real world data on the cosy of operating these new gen fc busses. I know they are expecting fx busses and comercial vehicles to drop below the cost of operation of fossil fuel ones sometime soon.
Posted by: wintermane | May 09, 2008 at 05:36 PM
I think the gas turbine buses running CNG with heat recovery would be hard to beat for some time to come. They are efficient, quiet, reliable, clean and cost effective.
If we go with those for the near future, some day the turbines may be replaced by fuel cells of one sort of another, but we can have cleaner more efficient buses now almost everywhere.
Posted by: SJC | May 09, 2008 at 07:13 PM
TrackBack
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d8341c4fbe53ef00e552314b028834
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference AC Transit Orders 8 Bus Fuel Cell Systems, Options 13 More:
United Technologies has had a lot of experience in SOFCs from their ONSI group over the years. UTC is a no nonsense professional corporation that can be counted on to get the job done.