Somebody Did Not Get The Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Bus Memo

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Zeroing diesel bus emissions is a key element in the decarbonization of urban transportation systems, with battery-powered and hydrogen fuel cell electric buses both in play. Hydrogen buses have a lot of ground to make up, but momentum is building as experienced battery bus makers seek a foothold in the fuel cell market, too.

Pepper Motion Believes In Batteries & Hydrogen Fuel Cell Buses, Too

New-built electric vehicles tend to attract the most media attention, but one of the forces shepherding zero emission electric buses into the market is the emergence of a market for retrofits and conversion kits, the idea being that older vehicles can be upcycled for a quick sustainability makeover.

The retrofit market also enables transportation planners to cut their carbon emissions without waiting for new vehicles to roll off the assembly line. That goes for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles as well as battery-powered EVs.

The German firm pepper motion (formerly e-troFit) GmbH, for example, specializes in battery EV upcycling kits, and it has recently expanded its business to introduce hydrogen fuel cell kits.

Last August, pepper motion tapped Toyota to supply the fuel cells for its hydrogen conversion kit. The initial order consisted of 25 trucks under the banner of the leading German transportation company Paul Nutzfahrzeuge.

Apparently pepper motion and its partners liked what they saw. On November 10, the company announced an agreement with the government of the Indian state Andhra Pradesh to build a new $600 million factory complex aimed at converting diesel buses and trucks with retrofits, as well as producing new electric vehicles.

Though the main emphasis appears to be on battery EVs, pepper motion also noted that its new fuel cell drive system is also part of the plan, which aims at producing 50,000 electric buses and trucks per year, beginning in 2027, as well as producing conversion kits for the international market.

That’s rather ambitious, considering that India celebrated delivery of its very first fuel cell bus just a few weeks ago, on September 24. The Economic Times was among the news organizations citing the country’s Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, who noted that the government has committed to launch 15 more in the National Capital region.

Puri hinted that many hydrogen vehicles are on the way. “Hydrogen is deemed as the fuel for future with immense potential in helping India meet it’s decarbonisation targets and its global demand for hydrogen is expected to increase by four to seven times to 500-800 million tonnes by 2050,” he said.

Make That Green Hydrogen For Hydrogen Fuel Cell Buses

Don’t get too excited just yet. The 16 hydrogen fuel cell buses will be traveling routes Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh as pilot project to assess future applications, so it remains to be seen if the floodgates will open wider.

The pesky issue of the hydrogen supply chain is also rearing its head. The primary source of the global hydrogen supply is natural gas, with coal and industrial wastes also playing a role.

Alternatives are beginning to emerge, though. The advent of low-cost wind and solar power has provided an opportunity to introduce water-sourced “green hydrogen” to the market.

India has begun laying the groundwork for a domestic green hydrogen industry. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has articulated a national green hydrogen mission, with the goal of making India “the Global Hub for production, usage and export of Green Hydrogen and its derivatives.”

“This will contribute to India’s aim to become Aatmanirbhar through clean energy and serve as an inspiration for the global Clean Energy Transition,” the Ministry adds, referring to the overarching goal of Indian self reliance, Atmanirbhar Bharat.

The hydrogen fuel cell electric bus pilot program is part of the plan. Hydrogen for the fuel cells is being supplied by the Indian Oil Corporation, which has set up a solar-powered green hydrogen water electrolysis system at its research center in Faridabad.

More Fuel Cell Buses Hitting The Road

Fans of the hydrogen fuel cell bus field got some bad news last week, when the French city of Pau reported a series of issues and expenses bedeviling its fleet of eight hydrogen buses, leading transportation planners to nix future purchases. A shift in subsidy policies is also reported to have motivated the decision.

Nevertheless, the hydrogen fuel cell bus pot continues to stir. On October 10, for example, Ballard Power Systems announced that it has received multiple orders for its fuel cell engines from the European bus manufacturer Solaris Bus & Coach, totaling 177 units.

“The orders include the supply of fuel cell engines to support the largest announced deployment of a fleet of fuel cell city buses in Europe, with 127 Solaris fuel cell buses to be deployed in Bologna, Italy,” Ballard noted, adding that its business with Solaris has grown significantly.

“The number of engines ordered by Solaris year-to-date now exceeds 270, representing substantial growth over the more than 140 fuel cell city buses that Solaris has deployed with customers in Europe to date,” Ballard stated.

The company also cited some of the reasons why transportation planners are attracted by hydrogen fule cell technology.

“There is growing interest in Europe for larger deployments of zero-emission, fuel cell electric buses that offer range, refueling time, and operating rhythm consistent with legacy diesel bus experience, while also avoiding the challenges and costs associated with scaling recharging infrastructure for larger fleets of battery electric buses,” explained the company’s Chief Commercial Officer, David Mucciacciaro.

More Fuel Cell Buses For The USA

Hydrogen fuel cell bus activity is also beginning to pick up in the US as auto parts stakeholders seek new opportunities to capitalize on their battery-electric experience. That includes BAE Systems, which is providing the fuel cell power and propulsion systems for three hydrogen buses in Rochester, New York.

Transportation planners in Nevada are also taking a look at the technology. The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada welcomed the state’s first two hydrogen fuel cell electric buses into the fleet last summer, with a $3.8 million funding assist from the US Department of Transportation. The two 40-foot buses are to be followed by seven 60-footers, to be delivered by next fall.

The company behind the Nevada buses is New Flyer. The firm got its start in the 1930s and descries itself as the largest transit bus manufacturer in the US and Canada. The company is a branch of the Canadian firm NFI Group Inc., which markets both battery and fuel cell electric buses globally.

In September, the transportation agency of Santa Cruz, California, also announced that it is deploying state and federal transportation funds to purchase 57 new hydrogen buses from New Flyer.

If you’ve heard of any other hydrogen bus news in the US and Canada, drop us a note in the comment thread.

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Image: Zero emission hydrogen fuel cell electric buses in Nevada, courtesy of RTCSN.