5/1/2023 0 Comments Urbana masstransit![]() “The preventative maintenance schedule and the preventative maintenance that the was going to require versus what it's replacing couldn't be more different,” said Josh Berbaum, maintenance director, MTD. New Flyer has been another partner to MTD, helping the agency’s maintenance personnel learn how to use and troubleshoot the new technology. During low winter temperatures, fuel cell vehicles use waste heat from the fuel cell to keep the inside of the vehicle warm, saving significant energy. In addition, more than 15,000 gallons of diesel fuel per bus will be saved each year, with one hydrogen fuel cell bus reducing greenhouse gases up to 135 tons annually. And, these buses can drive up to 300 miles on a single refueling, allowing MTD to keep a bus in service all day instead of scheduling down time for charging with battery-electric buses. This is because hydrogen fueling takes about 10-15 minutes, on par with a conventional diesel bus, so MTD doesn’t have to change the way it operates. The agency elected to pursue hydrogen fuel cell in lieu of battery-electric technology because hydrogen eliminates the agency’s fossil fuel consumption while having minimal impact on operations. ![]() “The new buses, which will run on hydrogen and produce no emissions, represent the kind of innovation we’re proud to support at the Department of Transportation,” said FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez during the event. The event not only celebrated industry firsts but also the sheer number of collaborators, including the FTA, it took to see this project through. MTD’s two zero-emission, hydrogen fuel cell-electric, 60-foot Xcelsior CHARGE H2™ heavy-duty transit buses from New Flyer of America (New Flyer) were first unveiled at MTD’s maintenance and storage facility in Urbana, Ill., on Oct. It’s significant and it’s real,” MTD General Manager Karl Gnadt told the crowd of project partners, stakeholders, as well as local, state, and federal officials at a press event to demonstrate the new technology. “This isn’t quite Star Trek level technology, but it’s on the path. And finally, when the buses are in service, the only thing they will emit is water vapor. MTD partnered with the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) to plan the project and coordinate the various aspects.įor this technology to be truly zero emissions, MTD secured private sector partners to develop an array of solar panels to produce clean energy, which then powers the hydrogen production station by using solar power to turn water and electricity into hydrogen that is then used to fuel the buses. The agency also secured other state and federal funding to cover 94 percent of the project through grants that support clean, zero-emission, and sustainable initiatives. ![]() The project dates to 2017 when the MTD submitted a successful application to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for the Low- or No-Emissions program, which resulted in a $1.45-million grant. Private and public partnerships were the backbone in bringing this vision to reality, supporting MTD’s efforts to deliver high quality traditional and innovative transportation services that are safe, reliable, environmentally responsible, and user friendly. By working with a consortium of partners, including state, federal, local, private, and nonprofit entities, the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District (MTD) made history this past year when it introduced its new zero-emission fleet technology, including a 100 percent renewable hydrogen production station, as well as the nation’s first commercial deployment of 60-foot articulated hydrogen fuel cell electric buses.
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