This table lists the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) technical targets for fuel cell transit buses.
More information about targets can be found in the Fuel Cells section of the Fuel Cell Technologies Office's Multi-Year Research, Development, and Demonstration Plan.
Technical Targets: Fuel Cell Transit Buses
| Characteristic | Units | 2015 Status | 2016 Targets | 2020 Targets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus Lifetime | years/miles | 0.25–4.9/7,900–117,000 a | 12/500,000 | 12/500,000 |
| Power Plant Lifetime b,c | hours | 20,000 a | 18,000 | 25,000 |
| Bus Availability | % | 40–92 a | 85 | 90 |
| Fuel Fills d | per day | 1 a | 1 (<10 min) | 1 (<10 min) |
| Bus Cost e | $ | 800,000 f | 1,000,000 | 600,000 |
| Power Plant Cost b,e | $ | 60,000–120,000 g | 450,000 | 200,000 |
| Hydrogen Storage Cost | $ | 100,000 h | 75,000 | 50,000 |
| Road Call Frequency (Bus/Fuel Cell System) | miles between road calls | 1,800–6,800/9,000–104,000 a | 3,500/15,000 | 4,000/20,000 |
| Operation Time | hours per day/days per week | 7–21/5–7 a | 20/7 | 20/7 |
| Scheduled and Unscheduled Maintenance Cost i | $/mile | 0.54–1.33 a | 0.75 | 0.40 |
| Range | miles | 240–340 a | 300 | 300 |
| Fuel Economy | miles per gallon diesel equivalent | 5.6–7.7 a | 8 | 8 |
a L. Eudy et al., "Fuel Cell Buses in U.S. Transit Fleets: Current Status 2015," Technical Report NREL/TP-5400–64974, December 2015.
b The power plant is defined as the fuel cell system and the battery system. The fuel cell system includes supporting subsystems such as the air, fuel, coolant, and control subsystems. Power electronics, electric drive, and hydrogen storage tanks are excluded.
c According to an appropriate duty cycle.
d Multiple sequential fuel fills should be possible without increase in fill time.
e Cost projected to a production volume of 400 systems per year. This production volume is assumed for analysis purposes only, and does not represent an anticipated level of sales.
f Paul Jenné, "Fuel Cell Electric Bus Projects - Status and Outlook from an Industry Perspective," Presentation at the 2015 International Fuel Cell Bus Workshop.
g $40,000-$100,000, for fuel cell system only, based on Monte Carlo analysis of projected manufacturing cost at 200–1,000 buses per year. B.D. James et al. (Strategic Analysis, Inc.), "Mass Production Cost Estimation of Direct H2 PEM Fuel Cell Systems for Transportation Applications: 2014 Update," final report. Batteries estimated to cost an additional $20,000 per system (B.D. James, private communication, May 2015).
h DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program Record #12012, "Fuel Cell Bus Targets,"
i Excludes mid-life overhaul of power plant.