The Alameda Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) has awarded New Flyer of America Inc. an order for 20 zero-emission, hydrogen fuel cell-electric 40-foot Xcelsior CHARGE H2 heavy-duty transit buses. The purchase was made through California’s State Cooperative Procurement, for which New Flyer was selected as a top-scoring approved supplier in 2019.

The bus offers up to 350 miles of range on a single fueling; refill times range from 6-20 minutes, depending on bus model and operating conditions. The fuel cell bus uses a battery-dominant hybrid architecture, in which the batteries are large enough to handle all vehicle performance needs while the fuel cell acts like a continuous battery charger to extend the range of the vehicle.

Fuel cell-rejected heat is captured through a heat exchanger to supplement the HVAC system.

Supported by Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funds, the order follows AC Transit’s 2019 purchase of 10 hydrogen fuel cell-electric and five battery-electric buses from NFI, and demonstrably advances AC Transit’s Clean Corridors Plan (a commitment to operate a 25% zero-emission fleet by 2023).

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) Innovative Clean Transit Regulation requires all California agencies to transition to zero-emission bus fleets by 2040.

Based in Oakland, AC Transit is one of the largest bus-only systems in America, serving Alameda and Contra Costa counties in the San Francisco Bay Area’s East Bay, delivering more than 52 million rides annually.

New Flyer is the only manufacturer to offer both a forty-foot and sixty-foot fuel cell-electric model that qualifies for federal funding.