Wrapped in a mural sporting OCTA’s signature blue, orange, and white and a colorful design of California poppies, OCTA’s first zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell bus took center stage on May 23 during an introduction ceremony that included local and state officials. The first of its kind in OCTA’s fleet, the bus emits no emissions and will improve air quality as part of a continuing effort to expand an eco-friendly transportation system.
OCTA officials on hand to celebrate the future of transportation included Chair Donchak, Vice Chair Hennessey, and Directors Bartlett, Jones, Nelson, Shaw, Spitzer, Tait and Winterbottom and CEO Darrell Johnson. They were joined by representatives from the California Air Resources Board, Center for Transportation and the Environment, Ballard Power Systems, El Dorado National-California and BAE Systems.
Funding for the project was provided by the Federal Transit Administration under the National Fuel Cell Bus Program. The program includes testing and demonstration of fuel cell bus technology. The bus will run along Routes 53, 145, and 72.
Hydrogen fuel cell electric buses are powered by oxygen and hydrogen, which combine to produce electricity, heat, and water. The new bus uses fuel cells to convert chemical energy stored by hydrogen fuel into electricity. Fuel cell electric vehicles are zero-emission vehicles and emit only water, creating cleaner air and a healthier environment.
OCTA will use the hydrogen fueling station at the University of California Irvine, which deployed its first fuel cell-powered bus in April 2015.
OCTA currently has 545 buses, of which 97 percent run on clean-burning natural gas. By the end of this year, 100 percent of OCTA fixed-route buses are expected to run on natural gas.
