Transit's contribution to wider adoption of advanced technology
In the past decade, the transit industry has played a leading role in developing and testing advanced fuels and drivetrains. For example, over the last decade, the market share for natural gas transit buses has increased to 25 percent of new bus procurements nationwide. Transit districts are ideal proving grounds for new fuels as they operate the buses on fixed routes, have highly trained mechanics and operators, and refuel at centralized facilities.

In answer to a mandate
In 2005, the US Congress passed the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: a Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), under authority of Section 3045 established a National Fuel Cell Bus Technology Development Program (NFCBP). The NFCBP is a targeted, multi-year program to develop and deploy commercially viable fuel cell bus technologies and related infrastructure.

California’s role
CALSTART has secured and launched contracts for five major fuel cell bus technology development programs with the FTA. The $24 million effort involves multiple fuel cell and drive system leaders, three transit districts and three major bus makers.  It drives forward a focused, multi-year strategy to speed key improvements in fuel cell reliability, system design and component design. The goal is more affordable, higher performance fuel cell systems becoming available for transit bus and other uses. The FTA is providing $12 million in funding; the private companies involved provide the balance. The CALSTART California presence and relationship with key California stakeholders are of tremendous significance. California is a key fuel cell bus region especially given the intent of the California Air Resource Board (CARB) to require transit properties to procure up to 15 percent of their bus fleets as zero emission starting 2012 for alternative fuel fleets. Our program partners have already made investments in fuel cell bus technology and are targeting a commercial path in line with the CARB requirements.