In California, Foothill Transit operated by Keolis is rolling out a fleet of hydrogen buses

Context: Addressing the limitations of battery electric buses 

A pioneer in innovative public transport, Foothill Transit was the first operator in North America to introduce fast-charge electric buses in 2010. Today, its bus network – operated and maintained by Keolis – includes 33 electric buses, including two Alexander Dennis battery electric double-decker buses. This makes it one of the largest fleets of electric buses in the United States.

Although they offer clear environmental advantages over gas-powered vehicles, battery electric buses carry one major drawback: prolonged charging times, especially when air conditioning is in use. Due to the extended time required to recharge these vehicles, battery electric buses often suffer from outages impacting service on the transport network. 

Innovation: Clean, reliable electric buses equipped with hydrogen fuel cells  

To remedy this issue and ensure service continuity, Foothill Transit teamed up with technology partners to explore a cutting-edge solution: hydrogen buses. Hydrogen helps mitigate the issue of charging battery electric buses, as the onboard hydrogen fuel cell can feed electricity to the battery while the vehicle is in service. This way, the bus fleet no longer has to deal with the challenges related to battery charging. 

As part of this project, Foothill Transit worked with Clean Energy and Messer to build a hydrogen facility at the Pomona center. After breaking ground in 2021, the station was completed in January 2022. Today, the Pomona center is home to a 25,000-gallon hydrogen tank, the largest in North America, as well as electrolyzers, dispensers and other related equipment. The manufacturer provided ample training to prepare every technician for operating and maintaining the new vehicles and hydrogen station. 

Benefits: Faster refueling for more reliable service across the bus network

Today, Foothill Transit proudly operates the largest hydrogen fleet in North America with 33 hydrogen buses. Bus operators and passengers alike appreciate that the vehicles offer a smooth and quiet ride and are able to stay in service for long periods of time. Using hydrogen fuel cell buses instead of battery electric buses means that the charging process only takes between six and eight minutes, rather than six to eight hours. 

 These differences have greatly improved the transit network’s zero-emissions capabilities, enabling it to improve operations and contribute to the energy transition.

A notable achievement was Foothill Transit successfully refueling 18 fuel cell buses within 90 minutes. This was accomplished by using two dispensers simultaneously and thereby showcasing the Pomona station’s high efficiency. This test’s excellent results prove that hydrogen mobility provides exceptional performance for operations, with less time wasted on refueling vehicles that can cover over 400 kilometers per day. 

Next steps: Expanding access to hydrogen-powered buses for other networks  

Highly satisfied with this performance, Foothill Transit is currently testing its hydrogen buses on different routes to obtain more data, with 19 new fuel cell buses to be delivered in Fall 2024. As this technology matures and its costs decrease, the company envisions further fleet growth in the future.

 Foothill Transit also hopes to convince other networks to adopt hydrogen fuel cell technology. The company has already received approximately 40 visits from transit companies across North America that are eager to learn more about hydrogen buses. In this way, other regions can learn from Foothill Transit and adopt this advanced sustainable technology, thus making it even more affordable. 

The Energy Transition Center of Excellence: innovating to reduce our carbon footprint 

The energy transition is a major challenge and top priority for the Keolis Group. In addition to changing the energy sources and equipment used on a network, it is also necessary to rethink operations, maintenance, information systems, infrastructures and amenities. To support professions and regions through these changes, Keolis has established an international network of Energy Transition Centers of Excellence, which provides expertise both on a general level and for more targeted projects. The primary goal is to capitalize on the collective knowledge within the Group and help public transport authorities position themselves for these changes. This ensures that their regions benefit from the most suitable solution in terms of energy, vehicles and infrastructure.