Cell-ing a cleaner alternative

The EU HyFLEET:CUTE trials of a fleet of hydrogen-powered fuel cell Daimler-Benz Citaro buses have been extended until the end of 2006 in seven of the original 10 cities, including London, UK. The buses have a power output of more than 200kW and carry pressurised hydrogen gas bottles on their roofs. The only emission is water. The fuel-cell stacks, manufactured by Ballard Power Systems, achieved more than 2000 hours per bus without loss of performance. Three fuel-cell Citaros are run in London and reliability has exceeded expectations. Feedback from drivers and passengers has been very positive. A major problem experienced by all CUTE partners has been obtaining planning permission for refuelling sites. Interim results for all the cities showed fuel consumption increased during acceleration and when heating and air conditioning were on. Fuel-cell buses cost 20 times the price of a conventional diesel bus. Greater Manchester PTE has conducted its own investigations of fuel-cell buses and has concluded that there is no realistic way for Greater Manchester to have fuel-cell buses at this stage, due to lack of commercial availability and insufficient performance. German manufacturer MAN has created Neoman Bus UK to open up the British market for hydrogen-powered buses.