Georgetown University Fuel Cell Bus Program

The Georgetown University Fuel Cell Bus Program has concluded.
This site will remain available for information on the background and history of the program. For inquiries on the program, please see the Contact page.

Generation II Fuel Cell Bus Program

Based on the promise of the Generation I 30-foot methanol fuel cell buses, FTA awarded a grant to Georgetown University in 1993 to continue the work begun under the joint DOE/FTA program. The goal of this new program was to develop, build, and test a more powerful methanol fuel cell system on a standard 40-foot transit bus platform. The goal of the program was achieved successfully with the delivery of two fully-functional Generation II methanol fuel cell buses with nearly identical 40-foot platforms and hybrid drive trains but using two different types of 100 kW fuel cell systems.

The Generation II Buses at the Capitol

Both Generation II buses were based on a standard 40-foot RTS platform from Nova Bus, and both buses used lead acid batteries and the BAE Systems HybriDrive system for power and propulsion, which is a system now installed on thousands of diesel hybrid electric buses across North America.

The first Generation II bus, with a 100 kW phosphoric acid fuel cell (PAFC) developed by UTC Power, was rolled out in 1998. The UTC Bus performed satisfactorily as a demonstration vehicle for nearly ten years. Over that time, the fuel cell accumulated over 8,500 hours of operation.

Unlike the earlier Generation I buses which were moved to several different operating locales, the UTC Bus was stationed in Washington, DC on the GU campus. It was transported often to venues in other areas of the country for demonstrations in support of fuel cell and/or transit bus conferences. The bus was retired from operation in 2008.

The second Generation II bus, delivered in 2001, had a Ballard 100 kW proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) system, the type of fuel cell that is the primary research focus of car manufacturers for fuel cell automobiles. This bus was the first liquid-fueled fuel cell bus employing PEM fuel cell technology. This bus had a similar demonstration role as the UTC Bus for several years. It was primarily stationed at SunLine Transit in Palm Springs, CA, and was demonstrated at various events and conferences across North America. The bus was retired from operation in 2005.

In 2005, GU and FTA agreed jointly to continue the project with the goal of developing a state-of-the-art methanol fuel cell system that could fit in the same space as a diesel engine (see Generation III Methanol Fuel Cell Bus Program).