The Sounds of Silence...

Zero-emission fuel cell-powered hybrid buses may seem like a pipe dream to some but a local transit official thinks CTTRANSIT’s local experiment with a bus powered by electricity has been promising.

Steve Warren, Assistant General Manager for maintenance at CTTRANSIT, said the demonstration bus it has run on the Star Shuttle route in Hartford has received high marks from drivers and riders. The demo bus provides a smooth, quiet ride while producing NO harmful tailpipe emissions. It only emits warm water vapor. It is also twice as energy efficient as diesel powered buses.

The fuel cell bus is one of a kind in New England and there are only four similar buses on the road in the United States.

The buses were funded by the federal government. Congress established the National Fuel Cell Bus Technology Development Program in 2005 to facilitate development of commercially viable fuel cell bus technology to minimize our dependence on foreign oil. The Federal Transit Administration’s goal is to have fuel cell buses represent 10 percent of new U.S. transit bus purchases starting in the year 2015.

The local experiment is a partnership among several organizations. CTTRANSIT provides drivers and maintains the bus, Connecticut Department of Transportation funds its operation, Greater Hartford Transit District manages the Star Shuttle route and UTC Power provides program support, including the use of a hydrogen refueling station located at UTC Power’s headquarters in South Windsor, Connecticut.

CTTRANSIT’s Steve Warren has found the demonstration bus exciting to work with. “We’re learning every day,” he said. The bus was started on the Hartford Star Shuttle route but will be moved to routes that serve the capital city and surrounding towns. CTTRANSIT plans to use the bus in all types of typical transit service, including low and high speeds, and routes with steep grades.

So how does a hybrid fuel-cell bus work?

Unlike a Prius hybrid that uses both gasoline and a battery, the hybrid fuel cell bus runs on 100% electricity.  The “hybrid” part of this demo bus refers to its two sources of energy – the fuel cell itself and the energy that is returned to storage batteries every time the driver uses the brakes!  Braking is something that happens quite a lot on urban routes, making the Star Shuttle routes a good test of the fuel cell bus.

When you are in Hartford, be on the watch for a 40-foot silver bus, with panels of green leaves.  Hop on, if only for a few blocks.  The shuttle is free. But you’ll have to keep our eyes open to see it.  You won’t hear it because it’s so QUIET…