Transforming the Future: Moving Toward Fuel Cell-Powered Fleets in Canadian Urban Transit Systems

In 2003, the CTFCA decided to study the issues that face Canada’s urban transit systems in making the transition from the diesel-powered fleets of today to the hydrogen fuel cell-powered fleets of the future. The resulting study, published in 2005, helps industry identify business opportunities for hydrogen fuel cell-powered transit systems. The study pinpoints major transition costs for urban transit systems, including the capital cost of fuel cell-powered buses and the conversion of existing facilities or the building of new ones. It also discusses key economic and infrastructure challenges.

The bottom line? The study finds that fuel cell-powered buses are expected to be able to carry out urban transit duties with performance and reliability that are comparable to or better than their diesel counterparts. Although the acquisition cost of a fuel cell-powered bus will be more than that of a diesel-powered bus, the lifecycle cost, including the cost of acquisition, maintenance and fuel, will be comparable.