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Volume 3 of the Zero Emission Transit Bus Technology Analysis (ZETBTA) represents the latest iteration of our groundbreaking study and collaboration with Stanford University’s Precourt Institute for Energy. The study offers invaluable insight into workforce development, data integration and management, procurement, and infrastructure updates, ultimately offering transit agencies around the globe a roadmap toward full transition to zero-emission technologies.

In June 2020, AC Transit released a Zero Emission Bus Rollout Plan in compliance with California’s mandate to transition public transit fleets to zero emission by 2040. The report is a living document that integrates ZETBTA fleet performance data, which when combined, helps our transit district navigate the road to 2040.

Read the report to learn:

About our updated Rollout Plan, which deploys a fleet mix; 70% hydrogen fuel cell electric buses and 30% battery electric buses.

The Turner Twins, who are scheduled to depart towards the end of June, will travel on a 12-meter yacht fitted with a prototype hydrogen fuel cell in a bid to put the spotlight on hydrogen fuel technology, as well as ocean advocacy.

They''ll also rely on hydrogen, which is created using renewable energy rather than fossil fuels, to power all of their equipment.

"It will be great to be able to do a fully hydrogen-powered project in the future," says Hugo Turner. "That would be a really good step in the right direction."

But hydrogen faces the same challenge as just about every other clean technology: Can we get the price down far enough, fast enough? If people have to pay too much to be green, change will happen too slowly. But if we get the Green Premiums down near zero, there is a chance to build a prosperous net-zero economy. It’s going to take a big push for collaboration between business and governments, which, together, can make innovation happen much faster than usual by being aggressive with investments and policies.

New Mexico signed a memorandum of understanding in February with Colorado, Utah and Wyoming to jointly pursue a slice of $8 billion in federal funding that the U.S. Department of Energy will award over the next year to build at least four — and possibly up to eight — “hydrogen hubs” in different regions or states across the U.S. That’s part of the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law that Congress approved last fall as part of national efforts to build a non-carbon economy, paving the way for states and regions to seek competitive grants of up to $1 billion or more for hydrogen-hub development.

The SamTrans Board of Directors voted this month to replace 30 diesel buses with 20 battery electric buses (BEB) and 10 Hydrogen-fuel cell electric buses (FCEB). This purchase helps move SamTrans planned full conversion of the fleet from a projected to 2038 to 2034. 

SamTrans will be introducing a mix of BEB and FCEB at the launch of its Zero Emission Bus (ZEB) fleet deployment to assess how the two technologies perform under different conditions, which can serve which routes better and what it would require to meet their infrastructure needs. Ultimately, SamTrans will develop a plan for full ZEB conversion of the fleet by 2034, six years before the state mandated conversion in 2040.

The European Commission unveiled today its plans to kick off a European Electrolyser Partnership. This Partnership aims to address the challenges in establishing and maturing a strong industrial manufacturing base in Europe and identify potential mitigating policies and actions where necessary.

The Electrolyser Partnership was conceived earlier in May at the Electrolyser Summit organised jointly by the European Commission and Hydrogen Europe, where 20 industry CEOs and Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton signed a Joint Declaration outlining the commitment of the electrolyser industry and the European Commission to deliver on the REPowerEU ambitious goals. This dedicated platform will be hosted under the European Clean Hydrogen Alliance, which is managed by the European Commission. Hydrogen Europe is delighted to have played a facilitating role in bringing together all parties at a crucial time for the renewable hydrogen sector.

SoCalGas and National Grid both said it would help if states adopt renewable fuel standards that would require utilities to buy a certain amount of renewable gas to encourage energy firms to produce more of it.

“Hydrogen is essential to decarbonize sectors that cannot be electrified, like aviation, maritime, and high-heat manufacturing and should therefore be prioritized for these sectors,” said Remi Eriksen, Group President and CEO of DNV. “Policies do not match hydrogen’s importance. They will also need to support the scaling of renewable energy generation and carbon capture and storage as crucial elements in producing low-carbon hydrogen.”

Toyota Motor North America (Toyota) and Chevron are supporting Valley Clean Air Now (Valley CAN) to establish a first-of-its-kind pilot program to provide hydrogen-powered certified pre-owned, zero-emission Toyota Mirai Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV) at no cost to 27 San Joaquin
Valley residents to replace their older gasoline-powered cars. The program, offering a way to provide access to zero-emission vehicles to more people to quantifiably reduce air emissions in the San Joaquin Valley, also provides participants with $15,000 prepaid fuel cards intended to cover the cost of three years’ worth of hydrogen fuel.

The program will also produce a study that will provide much-needed data on the benefits that fuel cell electric vehicles can provide to residents of underserved communities – especially long-range commuters and farmworkers – that can help inform equitable zero-emission vehicle policy as well as future efforts to deploy FCEVs in local communities. The study will also examine the economic benefits of eliminating most transportation costs for low-income commuters, which are a known inhibitor of upward mobility for working families.