Ballard Power Systems has announced that it expects to supply 10 of its FCvelocity-HD6 fuel cell modules to power buses as part of two projects that were recently awarded federal funding.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced nearly $55 million in grants for 10 project teams under its Low and No Emission (LoNo) Vehicle Deployment Program. Thousand Palms, Calif.-based SunLine Transit Agency and Canton, Ohio-based Stark Area Regional Transit Authority (SARTA) were among the recipients.
Ballard and partners BAE Systems, a system integrator and supplier of hybrid drive components, and ElDorado National, a North American bus OEM, plan to supply the two transit agencies with five fuel cell buses each.
‘Ballard views the global bus market as a significant market opportunity for our clean energy power products,’ says Kevin White, Ballard's recently hired director of sales for the Americas. ‘We are certainly encouraged with progress in the U.S. market toward an increase in the volume of zero-emission fuel cell buses being deployed with transit agencies through programs such as LoNo.’
Ballard expects to receive orders for these modules once agreements with the transit agencies are finalized and expects to begin shipments in the second half of the year. CALSTART, a California-based consortium of clean transportation technology companies, will also be involved as a project partner.
