Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus Technology State of the ... - NEXTHYLIGHTS

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus Technology State of the Art Review
Executive summary
This document is a summary of the state of the art for hydrogen bus technology. The
document is based on information available from recent international fuel cell bus
demonstrations and from bilateral dialogues with key industry stakeholders and the bus
operators (with experience of operating hydrogen vehicles) within the Hydrogen Bus
Alliance and the CHIC project. The study looks at historical techno-economic
performance of fuel cell buses, the cost structure of a hybrid fuel cell bus and the Total
Cost of Ownership (TCO) in comparison with alternative bus technologies.
Summary of the main conclusions of the analysis
The fuel cell bus sector
The number of competitors in the market has increased over time, with at least 12
fuel cell bus providers and 9 fuel cell manufacturers competing for business in the
international market.
Of particular note, only 2-3 out of the six major European OEMs, have significant
demonstration experience with hydrogen buses and are actively engaged in the
sector. There is a general consensus among industry players that a wider
participation of the larger players would be beneficial for the sector.
Demonstration activity has occurred in waves, with a major increase in deployment
around 2003, followed by a next wave based on so called „next generation‟ hybrid
fuel cell buses which will enter service in the period 2010-2011. By the end of 2011,
approx. 110 fuel cell buses will be in day to day service worldwide.
Hybrid fuel cell buses – technical performance
The analysis of historical performance data indicated that fuel cell bus performance
is substantially improving over time. The table below provides a snapshot of the key
metrics:
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