Why Santa Cruz County Is So Bullish on Hydrogen Buses
The Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District (METRO) has made history by approving the nearly $90M purchase of 57 hydrogen-powered, fuel cell electric buses (FCEBs), marking the largest acquisition of FCEBs in United States.
In a well-written article by Christopher Neely of Lookout Santa Cruz, we learned why Santa Cruz County officials selected hydrogen over lithium. Hydrogen buses offer significant advantages over their electric battery counterparts in three key areas:
Range: they boast a superior range, covering 300 to 350 miles with a single refueling, compared to the 175 to 200 miles an electric battery bus can travel on a full charge.
Refueling: the refueling process for hydrogen buses is swift, requiring only about 15 minutes to fill up with hydrogen gas, while electric buses demand several hours for a complete recharge.
Weight: the absence of heavy batteries in hydrogen buses makes them considerably lighter — they can weigh up to 11,000 pounds less than buses equipped with bulky electric batteries. This reduced weight is beneficial, as it exerts less strain on roads and bridges during transit.
Read the entire article at the link below.