Hydrogen powered buses

[ozbob]

Fuel cell bus --> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_cell_bus

A fuel cell bus is a bus that uses a hydrogen fuel cell as its power source for electrically driven wheels, sometimes augmented in a hybrid fashion with batteries or a supercapacitor.

Several companies are conducting hydrogen fuel cell research and practical fuel cell bus trials. These include:

    Daimler AG, with thirty-six experimental units powered by Ballard Power Systems fuel cells completing a successful three-year trial, in eleven cities, in January 2007.[1][2]
    Thor Industries (the largest maker of buses in the U.S.), based on UTC Power fuel cell technology
    Irisbus, based on UTC Power fuel cell technology

There are also fuel cell powered buses currently active or in production, such as a fleet of Thor buses with UTC Power fuel cells in California, operated by SunLine Transit Agency.[3]

Hydrogen-powered fuel-cell buses began operating in Beijing on an experimental basis in 2006.[4] Three fuel cell buses, made by Daimler in Germany and purchased with a grant from the U.N. Development Programme, were the first fuel cell buses to enter operation in China.[4] The technology has not gained broader use in the city because air pollution reduced the efficiency and operating life of fuel cells.[5]

The first Brazilian hydrogen fuel cell bus prototype began operation in São Paulo during the first semester of 2009. The hydrogen bus was manufactured in Caxias do Sul, and the hydrogen fuel will be produced in São Bernardo do Campo from water through electrolysis. The programme, called "Ônibus Brasileiro a Hidrogênio" (Brazilian Hydrogen Autobus), includes three additional buses.[6][7]

Currently, the town of Whistler in British Columbia, Canada owns and operates the largest fuel-cell bus fleet in the world, having been put in operation for the 2010 Winter Olympics ...

[ozbob]

Evening Express --> Routes revealed for Aberdeen's new £19 million hydrogen-powered bus fleet

THE routes have today been announced for an innovative £19 million hydrogen bus project in Aberdeen.

The Aberdeen City Council-led scheme aims to put the city at the forefront of hydrogen technology.

Europe's biggest fleet of hydrogen buses will hit the streets of Aberdeen in the coming weeks on two popular routes.

They might be rival operators, but First Aberdeen and Stagecoach have teamed up with government, energy and transport bodies to introduce 10 buses to the city.

Four of the buses will run on the First X40 commuter route between the Kingswells and Bridge of Don Park and Ride sites.

The other six will operate on the city centre to Westhill Stagecoach X17 route.

Instead of running on fuel, the new buses have a fuel cell that converts hydrogen to electricity through a chemical reaction.

They will be quieter and smoother for passengers, and emit water vapour instead of fumes.