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AC Transit's highest performing fuel cell engine is nearing 24,000
hours, which is only 1,000 hours from the DOT/FTA Ultimate Target
of 25,000 hours. Several other fuel cell engines are approaching
20,000 hours.

AC Transit has begun to see a degradation of performance in the
older fuel cell engines, and there is a concern that these fuel
cell engines are reaching the end of their useful life. This could
result in a situation where the number of fuel cell buses in
operation actually begins to decrease, which could have an impact
on agencies considering transition to these zero emission buses.

AC Transit has in the past proposed funding for retrofit of some of
the fuel cell engines in these buses to allow for an expansion of
its fuel cell bus fleet from the current 13 buses to 23 buses after
the next order of New Flyer fuel cell buses are received at the end
of 2018. The retrofit is also important in validating the ability
to have a 12 year fuel cell transit bus.

AC Transit is requesting that the Air Resources Board allocate some
of the Volkswagen Settlement funds to provide for a funding source
for the retrofit of our 2010 Van Hool fuel cell buses with new
Ballard fuel cell engines. 

The following is updated language from prior requests for funding
the retrofit of these buses.

In order for heavy-duty fuel cell vehicles to gain widespread
acceptance, fleet operators need to have access to real-world data
and lessons learned when making future fleet decisions. The goal of
the AC Transit Fuel Cell Bus Power Plant Retrofit project is to
extend the service life of the AC Transit fuel cell bus fleet
through a competitively bid fuel cell power plant retrofit and
provide the data and lessons learned that can assist other transit
and heavy-duty vehicle fleet operators.

The project proposes to retrofit six power plants operating
currently in AC Transit’s fuel cell bus fleet with the latest fuel
cell technology. Each failed fuel cell power plant will be replaced
with one of the original fuel cell power plants in storage. Most
fuel cell suppliers are now offering newer fuel cell system models,
which have been marketed as more durable, reliable, and compact.
The proposed project will select the highest performing fuel cell
power plant model commercially available. The power plants with the
least amount of operating hours will be removed from the buses and
will be stored on-site as spares to replace any failed fuel cell
engines. 

Six next generation fuel cell power plants will replace the
original fuel cell power plant. The remaining seven fuel cell power
plants will be kept in service until each one catastrophically
fails, which is anticipated within the project timeframe.

The proposed project intends to determine two important findings
necessary for fuel cell bus commercialization: 1) fuel cell power
plant durability, and 2) improved fuel cell power plant
performance. Durability of a fuel cell power plant in real-world
operation has yet to be determined. For instance, the 2004 model
fuel cell power plants operating in AC Transit’s fuel cell bus
fleet was originally anticipated to operate up to 5,000 hours. 

Every fuel cell power plant in AC Transit’s 2010 model year fuel
cell bus fleet has now exceeded 14,000 hours. The longest
operational fuel cell power plant is currently approaching 24,000
hours, nearing the durability of a diesel engine at 25,000 hours.
It will be a critical milestone for fuel cell technology if any of
AC Transit’s fuel cells exceed the durability of conventional
technology. All of AC Transit’s fuel cell power plants will be run
until catastrophic failure to produce a statistically significant
conclusion of fuel cell durability.

AC Transit will also be able to evaluate and provide data for
heavy-duty fuel cell technology. All active fuel cell bus fleets
are operating last generation fuel cell systems, resulting in
outdated fuel cell bus performance data are based on older fuel
cell power plant models. AC Transit can concurrently operate seven
fuel cell buses with the original fuel cell power plants along with
six buses operating new fuel cell power plants. The old and new
fuel cell power plants will be operated on identical and similar
routes for an apples-to-apples comparison that will indicate the
potential performance of commercial fuel cell
technology. The outcomes of this project can help build confidence
for fuel cell technology in other heavy-duty applications.