Zero Emission Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus: Project Partners
New England's first zero-emission fuel cell-powered hybrid bus made its debut in Connecticut on April 10, 2007. The fuel cell-powered hybrid bus project was made possible through the efforts of many people and organizations including Connecticut Transit (CTTRANSIT), the Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT), the Greater Hartford Transit District (GHTD), UTC Power, AC Transit, Van Hool NV, ISE Corporation and the Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG).
The Greater Hartford Transit District (GHTD) - The Greater Hartford Transit District received a $2.9 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to fund the bus and infrastructure to support this and future fuel cell transportation projects in Greater Hartford. The bus was transferred to CTTRANSIT.
The Greater Hartford Transit District is a quasi-municipal corporation operating under the authority of Chapter 103a of the Connecticut General Statutes. There are currently sixteen member towns: Bloomfield, East Hartford, East Windsor, Enfield, Farmington, Granby, Hartford, Manchester, Newington, Rocky Hill, Simsbury, South Windsor, Vernon, West Hartford, Wethersfield and Windsor. The Greater Hartford Transit District is committed to providing the highest quality transportation and transit related support services, as well as securing the attainment of capital items crucial to viable transportation systems, within the Greater Hartford region and statewide.
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Connecticut Transit (CTTRANSIT) operates the fuel cell-powered hybrid bus on the free downtown Hartford Star Shuttle route, and then in a few months on other routes that serve the capital city and surrounding towns.
Connecticut Transit (CTTRANSIT) is the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CDOT)-owned bus service. CTTRANSIT's Hartford Division operates over 30 local and 12 express bus routes serving 26 towns in the Capital Region.
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The Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) will fund the operation of the fuel cell-powered hybrid bus.
The Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) is a Connecticut State Agency that works with the public, transportation partners, state and federal legislators, and other state and local agencies to provide a safe and efficient transportation system for the people traveling in Connecticut.
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UTC Power received a contract from the Greater Hartford Transit District for the fuel cell-powered bus and two years of program support, including the use of a hydrogen refueling station located at UTC Power's headquarters in South Windsor, Connecticut. UTC Power developed the PureMotionTM 120 Fuel Cell Power System, a super efficient,
quiet and emission-free transportation fuel cell system, based on proton exchange membrane
(PEM) technology, that maximizes the benefits of fuel cells by employing a
compact, ambient pressure, hydrogen fuel cell system.
UTC Power unit, based in South Windsor, Conn., is a full-service provider of environmentally advanced power solutions. With nearly 50 years of experience, UTC Power is a world leader in developing and producing fuel cells for on-site power, transportation, space and defense applications, and a developer of innovative combined cooling, heating and power systems for the distributed energy market.
UTC Project Profile, click here.
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ISE Corporation (“ISE”) supplied the integrated hybrid-electric drive systems and control software for the fuel cell-powered bus. ISE's controllers and software govern and optimize the use of energy in its hybrid-electric drive systems, which use electric power for vehicle propulsion but also generate onboard power using conventional engines.
ISE Corporation, based in San Diego, is a leading supplier of hybrid drive systems and components for heavy-duty vehicles such as buses, trucks, trams, airport equipment, and military vehicles. ISE is a world leader in electric, hybrid-electric, and fuel cell technologies, and the U.S. distributor for Siemens ELFA™ electric and hybrid-electric drive components.
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AC Transit served as proving ground/test service area to monitor vehicle performance. AC Transit developed the HyRoad program to prove the viability of a zero-emission public transit system to the rest of the world. AC Transit's program is monitored and evaluated by the Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
The Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District is the third-largest public bus system in California, serving 13 cities and adjacent unincorporated areas in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. AC Transit has been serving the East Bay since 1960, taking over from the Key System and its predecessors, which carried passengers via buses, horse-drawn rail, electric streetcars, and ferries over the previous 100 years. AC Transit’s mission is to provide safe, convenient, courteous, and reliable transit service.
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Van Hool N.V. provided the chassis for the fuel cell-powered hybrid bus. Van Hool is one of the largest independent manufacturers of buses, coaches and commercial vehicles.
