New Flyer completes fuel cell electric bus tour of Eastern Canada - #PoweredByBallard

Demonstrating the fuel cell technology behind hydrogen-powered transit first-hand, New Flyer recently concluded its successful Eastern Canada fuel cell electric bus tour which showcased its Xcelsior CHARGE FC^™ zero-emission transit bus – powered by Ballard's FCmove^®-HD+ 100kW fuel cell engine.

Providing transit authorities across the country with the opportunity to experience the advanced features of New Flyer’s latest decarbonized hydrogen bus, the tour began in Ontario - stopping off in Oshawa, Toronto, Mississauga, and Burlington, before going to Niagara Region Transit and London Transit. The fuel cell bus also swung into three industry conferences at CUTRIC, CUTA and HBC, and was demonstrated as a static display at Gatineau, Quebec.

Visiting nine transit agencies in total, each stop generated considerable interest, with guests able to get a comprehensive look at the Xcelsior CHARGE FC^™, test, and experience its reliability in real-life applications, ease of maneuverability, and its fast hydrogen refueling capability.

Watch highlights from the New Flyer bus tour here:

[Footage courtesy of New Flyer]

Delivering excellent operational performance in service, transit authorities across Canada were given first-hand insights into the benefits of the hydrogen-powered vehicle during the three-week tour.  Starting in Ontario's Toronto Pearson Airport, the fuel cell bus was put through thorough test drives along air-side and ground-side service routes. The event also included an assessment of Carlsun Energy Solutions' nearby hydrogen refueling station to confirm its readiness to support deployment of a fuel cell fleet - with refueling taking less than nine minutes to fill 24kg of hydrogen, or two-thirds of a tank.

The next stop on the tour was transport operator MiWay in Mississauga, where the Xcelsior CHARGE FC^™ completed shadow service of a bus in live operation, following its route to gather performance data using the proprietary NFI Connect^™ - an advanced telematics solution that monitors all critical vehicle on-board systems, giving real-time oversight of an entire fleet, improving bus and coach uptime and safety.

[Images courtesy of New Flyer]

New Flyer's tour continued on to Belleville, ON, where delegates from the Ontario Public Transit Association experienced the zero-emission bus at their regional meeting.

The bus made a final stop at the MCI service center in Montreal, QC, where the New Flyer team conducted performance testing as the Xcelsior CHARGE FC™ again shadowed in-service routes across the city - providing valuable insights via hands-on trials and delivering exceptional performance in a real-world environment.  

"New Flyer's comprehensive tour of Eastern Canada has taken in locations from Halifax to Montreal, and throughout the weeks-long event the Xcelsior CHARGE FC™ - powered by Ballard - has maintained excellent performance and operation, receiving very good feedback from transit agencies and recording no technical faults. Ballard's close and supportive collaboration with New Flyer has enabled enhanced integration of our FCmove^®-HD+ module in the fuel cell bus, leading to the recovery of up to 35kW of heat and improved powertrain integration for the fuel cell to operate within the optimum efficiency zone - resulting in very happy technical teams on both sides!"

Nicolas Pocard Vice President, Marketing & Strategic Partnerships, Ballard

As the most advanced hydrogen fuel cell bus currently operating in North America, New Flyer's Xcelsior CHARGE FC™ offers public transit a longer range, enhanced energy recovery, and is smart city capable.

More than 150 Xcelsior CHARGE FC™ buses are currently operating across the U.S. and Canada.