Earlier in April 2009, Hydrogenics showcased its fuel cells at the NHA Conference & Hydrogen Expo in Columbia, South Carolina as part of the Proterra EcoRide zero emissions transit bus. The Proterra bus, which will serve the Southeast region of the NFCBP, uses two Hydrogenics fuel cell modules, as earlier announced. At the NHA show, hundreds of participants viewed the Proterra bus.
“We are very pleased to announce this additional order within the FTA’s National Fuel Cell Bus Program, said Daryl Wilson, president and chief executive officer. This is our third project under the auspices of the NFCBP, and we are now tied with the most projects awarded among the various fuel cell providers. Moreover, we are the only company with awards that serve all three regions – the Northeast Advanced Vehicle Consortium, serving the Northeast United States, the Center for Transportation and the Environment, serving the Southeast, and Weststart-Calstart, serving the West Coast. Approximately 4,500 full-size transit buses are sold annually in the United States, and Hydrogenics is dedicated to becoming a leading provider of zero emission, domestically fueled power solutions for this important target market.
The NHA Conference was truly a success in showcasing our buses and our partnership with Hydrogenics, said Dale Hill, chairman, founder and chief technology officer of Proterra. We received a great deal of media attention, and the fuel cells have been running perfectly since being put into service earlier this year. In addition, testing at Altoona validated fuel economy in excess of 10 miles per gallon – double the efficiency of typical diesel buses. We will continue exhibiting across the Southeast and look forward to having more buses commissioned, with Hydrogenics fuel cells, later this year.
