Help Cool Earth – Ride a Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus in Whistler
One of the 20 hydrogen fuel cell buses BC Transit will have in service in Whistler during the Games.
Going to Whistler for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games? Then be a part of a revolution in public transit and ride the bus.
BC Transit will be operating 20 hydrogen fuel cell buses in Whistler during the Games. It’s the world’s largest fleet of hydrogen fuel cell buses, and they’ll be fuelled at BC Transit’s new Whistler depot, which includes the world’s largest transportation hydrogen fuelling station.
These remarkable buses produce zero emissions – no particulate matter, no unburned hydrocarbons, no greenhouse gas emissions. All that comes out of the tailpipe is water vapour. It’s a gold medal performance by Canada!
Hydrogen fuel cell bus facts:
- * The hydrogen fuel cell buses will be operating on many of the 17 routes in Whistler, including extra runs before and after Olympic events.
- * The $89.5 million hydrogen fuel cell bus demonstration project is funded by the governments of Canada and British Columbia, the Resort Municipality of Whistler and the Canadian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association, and is part of British Columbia’s plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 33 per cent by 2020.
- * The low-floor buses have a top speed of 90 km/h (55 mph) and a life expectancy of 20 years.
Building zero emission public transit
A lot of British Columbia innovation and Canadian know-how (with a little help from our American friends) went into the hydrogen fuel cell bus fleet.
- * The buses are manufactured by New Flyer Industries of Winnipeg.
- * Ballard Power Systems of Burnaby provided the fuel cell modules.
- * Dynetek Industries of Calgary worked on the hydrogen storage system.
- * The hydrogen fuel and infrastructure are supplied by Air Liquide Canada of Montreal, along with Sacre-Davey Engineering of North Vancouver and Hydrogenics of Mississauga.
- * ISE Corporation of San Diego is responsible for the drive system.
