Commercial, Distributed Energy Resources, GHG Emissions  -  March 28, 2023

Rochester-Genesee Transportation Authority Adds Hydrogen Fuel Cell Buses

The Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority ordered three Axess EVO-FC zero emissions hydrogen fuel cell buses as it works toward a goal of transitioning to a zero-emissions fleet by 2035.

The buses will be manufactured by ElDorado National (California) or ENC, a subsidiary of REV Group, Inc., a heavy-duty transit bus company, and will be delivered to RGRTA in 2024.

The Axess EVO-FC buses will only have water as a byproduct, is powered by a fuel cell and a BAE Systems® Gen3 electric propulsion system. Launched in September 2022 alongside the Axess® Battery Electric Bus (EVO-BE™), the next-generation Axess EVO-FC bus has a range of up to 400 miles and refuels in 12-20 minutes.

The transportation provider received funding for its Axess EVO-FC buses through the Federal Transit Administration Low- and No-Emission program.

“RGRTA has reached an exciting phase of our journey towards having a fully zero-emissions bus fleet by 2035 – exploring the use of hydrogen fuel cell technology,” said RGRTA CEO Miguel Velázquez in a statement. “As we conduct a demonstration project on this new technology, we are focused on meeting New York State’s goal for 2035 and doing so with a solution that provides a level of reliability that RGRTA and our customers expect. I thank the Federal Transit Administration for the grant funds that support this effort and look forward to working with ENC to develop our fleet of the future.”