SunLine Transit Agency, based in Thousand Palms, Calif., has taken delivery of two new heavy-duty fuel-cell buses from ElDorado National. These units feature BAE Systems' HybriDrive propulsion and power management system and a Ballard FCvelocity-HD6 fuel cell module.
The agency already has a pair of similar buses in service, which were deployed in 2011 through the Federal Transit Administration's American Fuel Cell Bus (AFCB) initiative.
‘The reliability and performance of this bus in revenue service shows the maturity of the fuel-cell hybrid technology,’ says Tommy Edwards, deputy chief performance officer for SunLine Transit Agency. ‘We're excited to build on the success of the first AFCB bus with these next generation fuel-cell buses.’
Last year, Ballard signed extended service agreements with SunLine Transit that will support bus operation for up to 10 years.
