Ballard introduces new FCmove®-SC fuel cell and sets tone for industry progress at Busworld Europe 2025

Ballard Power Systems wrapped up an active October in Brussels, Belgium with a strong presence across the Busworld Europe 2025 and Zero Emission Bus (ZEB) international conferences – using the events to unveil the company’s ninth-generation fuel cell engine designed for European city transit, as part of Ballard's roadmap towards diesel parity.

As the focal point of Ballard's engagement with bus OEMs and operators, the new FCmove^®-SC is a compact, efficient, hydrogen-powered module optimized for public transit, and designed to improve power density, simplify vehicle integration, and reduce lifecycle cost.

The FCmove^®-SC is a positive step toward diesel parity for city transit duty – and the new technology was presented alongside the 70kW FCmove^®-HD module, which has provided a durable and dependable transit solution for operators globally for several years – racking up nearly 100 million kilometers in real-world service.

Building on the company’s market-leading FCmove^® family, the FCmove^®-SC delivers greater sustained power and improved in-service performance, targeting a peak power capability of at least 75kW, optimized for consistent in-service output and higher thermal margins for improved efficiency.

The productive week in Brussels saw Ballard combine the product launch with targeted technical briefings and in-depth demonstrations to fleet operators and OEM partners, giving attendees to the company booth a first look at the integration, serviceability, and operational features of the new platform that presents a path to lower total cost of ownership (TCO).

Furthermore, six bus manufacturer partners were also on hand in Brussels, showcasing their latest fuel cell bus innovations – powered by Ballard – including Solaris, Wisdom Motor, NesoBus, Arthur Bus, and MCV.

“A clear message emerged from Busworld Europe 2025 – there is no going back to diesel. With 58% sales of new city buses, ZEBs are the now the mainstream with all OEMs showcasing their latest battery and fuel cell electric buses in Brussels. Deployment of hydrogen-powered buses have scaled up in Europe with now over 1,100 vehicles in operation. Technology innovation such as Ballard’s next-generation FCmove^®-SC fuel cell engine, new high power battery packs, improved, lighter hydrogen tanks, and heavy-duty hydrogen refuelling stations will drive down TCO. It is clear that the future of transit is electric – and both battery and fuel cell will allow operators to migrate to 100% ZEB fleets in the coming decade.”

Nicolas Pocard Vice President, Marketing & Strategic Partnerships

Ballard was also significantly involved in ZEB 2025 – a parallel conference track with Busworld - aimed at operators, suppliers, and policymakers in the public transit landscape. With a varied conference program of plenaries and technical breakout sessions, the three-day event catered for diverse conversation from practical deployment challenges to deep-diving on the key features that make fuel cell and battery electric buses complementary solutions to further the drive to zero-emission - especially at a stage where bus operators are initiating the decarbonization of more challenging routes.

Ballard’s Nicolas Pocard, vice president, marketing and strategic partnerships, took to the stage on the show’s second day along with Andreas Meyer from German bus operator WSW to share practical insights from deploying, operating, and sustaining a large fuel cell bus fleet.

Focusing his presentation on how hydrogen-powered fleets have now reached maturity and commercial viability – and how smarter fleet services can help to narrow the TCO gap – Pocard presented global deployment trends and technical lessons from recent European projects; while Meyer delivered a case study from Wuppertal, Germany – covering implementation, daily operations, and practical guidance for new adopters of fuel cell technology.

Nicolas Pocard presents at ZEB Conference 2025

Combining product debuts with substantive industry engagement, Ballard’s message is clear – while technology development continues, the company is focused on accelerating commercial deployments in the near-term and lowering lifecycle costs for operators for a sustainable zero-emission future.

The future of transit buses is definitely electric, and both battery and fuel cell technologies will allow operators to migrate to 100% ZEB fleets in the coming decade.