FCmove®-SC: Class-leading performance & lifecycle cost on the road to diesel parity

Ballard Power Systems unveiled its new-generation transit fuel cell module, the FCmove^®-SC, at Busworld Europe staged in Brussels, Belgium from October 4-9,2025. Designed for city transit duty, the FCmove^®-SC builds on Ballard’s market-leading FCmove^® family to deliver greater sustained power, simplified vehicle integration, improved in-service performance and lower lifecycle cost as part of the company’s roadmap toward diesel parity.

Watch the launch video below:

The FCmove^®-SC targets a peak power capability of at least 75kW, optimized for consistent in-service output and higher thermal margins for improved efficiency. These attributes support smaller cooling requirements and provide more usable waste heat for cabin heating — all intended to reduce operating cost and enable competitive total cost of ownership (TCO) versus legacy diesel systems. Efficient subsystems support an expected service life of approximately 25,000 operating hours under standard transit duty cycles.

By internalizing the DC/DC converter and power controller, the FCmove^®-SC consolidates functionality into a smaller, more serviceable package. Fewer external interfaces and routable parts simplify powertrain integration and reduce diagnostics and preventive maintenance requirements.

Ballard is also upgrading its fleet services to pair the FCmove^®-SC with predictive maintenance and analytics. Onboard communications and Ballard’s FCServiceCloud Customer Insight portal enables preventive and predictive maintenance workflows, helping operators maximize uptime and lower lifecycle support costs.

“The FCmove^®-SC is the latest product on Ballard’s new core product platform which anchors broader advances targeting the industry’s core challenge: narrowing the gap in cost of ownership parity with legacy diesel systems. The fuel cell design significantly reduces integration complexity for bus manufacturers while improving life-time cost and performance for transit operators.”

Kevin Colbow Senior Vice President & Chief Technology Officer, Ballard

The new FCmove^®-SC draws on Ballard’s extensive on-road experience. In Europe, Ballard has deployed more than 1,100 vehicles across numerous cities on the continent, utilizing Ballard’s FCmove^®-HD module which has been produced, scaled, and successfully operated over nearly 100 million service kilometers. This market-leading operational base has informed FCmove^®-SC’s new design, architecture, and component subsystems resulting in lower TCO for transit operators.

Enhanced safety is central to the FCmove^®-SC architecture which introduces industry-leading safety features. The PEM stack enclosure incorporates a new internal geometry that inhibits hydrogen-related risks. This passive safety measure reduces dependence on conventional active safety features such as sensors and software controls.

The FCmove^®-SC offers several enhancements for bus manufacturers and operators:

• 30% increase in system power (end-of-life)
  with improved durability, operating and freeze-start temperatures, and higher power density.
  
  
• 25% increase in volumetric power density
  through integrated DC/DC packaging.
  
  
• 25% higher maximum radiator outlet temperature (60°C → 75°C),
  simplifying vehicle thermal management.
  
  
• 40% reduction in total part count

"We’re benefiting from the most operational experience in the bus segment and on insights from our long-standing customers, to deliver a solution that simplifies vehicle integration, reduces operating and maintenance costs – backed by services that keep fleets reliably on the road."

Oben Uluc Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Ballard

Ballard exhibited the FCmove^®-SC and other transit solutions at Busworld Europe 2025 at the Brussels Expo during October. You can read a full review of the event here.