Accelerating Fuel Cell Bus & Hydrogen Infrastructure Deployments in NY
Disadvantaged communities in the Bronx are disproportionally affected by diesel emissions which negatively affects their health. Our solution is to accelerate the adoption of Fuel Cell Electric Bus (FCEB) and hydrogen fueling station development in NYS.
Our project will provide residents in the environmental justice zones of Eastchester, Co-op City, and Bedford Park with FCEB, zero-emissions, safe, and quiet transport. Our approach will succeed as FCEBs provide longer range than Battery Electric Buses (BEB), better performance in cold weather and can be refueled much faster than batteries in 6-12mins.
The hydrogen used to fuel these buses will be 100% clean, produced from electrolysis. Our intended outcome is the reduction in toxic emissions, improving the health of Bronx residents while meeting the same operating conditions as diesel buses, measured through carbon reductions, performance, and reliability. Proving hydrogen's capability in practice will demonstrate a viable path to zero emissions at the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) and across the country.
The project will demonstrate the capability of fuel-cell electric buses (FCEB) to address the most difficult challenges faced by the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) and other large fleet operators in converting to zero-emissions vehicles.
By showing that hydrogen technology is a feasible, efficient, and cost-effective zero-emissions solution, which offers proven ranges of 320 miles, fast fueling, the need for limited power and stations with a relatively small footprint capable of easily scaling to 200+ buses, the project will accelerate the conversion from diesel and CNG and help mitigate the negative health impacts of vehicle emissions on disadvantaged communities.
FCEBs solve the range, utility power, and fueling constraints faced by the MTA and other fleet operators with battery electric bus (BEB) technology thus removing major barriers to conversion and accelerating the conversion to zero-emissions at the MTA and beyond.
The short- and long-term impacts will include decreased levels of not only pediatric asthma, but lung cancer and heart disease in the communities we serve as well as reduce GHG emissions and overall costs. The project will have a broad impact on over 140,000 residents in disadvantaged communities in Bedford Park, Co Op City and Eastchester. It will provide residents a safe, quiet, sustainable service to get from home to work. By replacing 3 diesel buses with 3 FCEBs over 3 years, the project will avoid an estimated 900 tons of CO2 emissions, and the burning of over 75,000 gallons of diesel. FCEB have a 12 year life so the total reduction benefit is 3,600 tons or 7,200,000 lbs of CO2!