21 Sep 2001
Fuel cell transit buses, the time is near
The Georgetown University (Washington, USA) Fuel Cell Transit Bus Program, carried out for the US Federal Transit Administration, rolled out the world's first liquid-fuelled Fuel Cell vehicle in 1994. Since then, two additional Fuel Cell buses have been developed; one with a Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cell (PAFC) manufactured by International Fuel Cells (IFC) and the other with the newer technology Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC), manufactured by XCELLSiS. For more information, go to http://fuelcellbus.georgetown.edu.
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Present environmentally friendly transit buses still depend upon the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) but burn different fuels (gaseous or liquid), or use energy storage to enhance engine performance and reduce emissions. However, we may be witnessing a true revolution in propulsion technology that could be the twilight of the dominance of the ICE. Fuel Cells have the long-desired attributes that favor true market entry; this is no longer just the heartfelt beliefs of the true believers. Pragmatic automobile manufacturers and business leaders are starting to realize the environmental and efficiency advantages of Fuel Cells and that the performance, infrastructure and cost barriers are not insurmountable. Nearly every major automobile manufacturer in the world has stated an intention to introduce Fuel Cell powered automobiles to the commercial marketplace in this decade.
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