Edmonton and Strathcona County bought the buses as part of the Alberta Zero Emission Hydrogen Transit initiative, a $9.8-million project that aims to road test the technology under Alberta conditions in a bid to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Author of the article: Hamdi Issawi
Publishing date:Sep 24, 2022 •
Mayor Amarjeet Sohi is shown the city’s new hydrogen bus by Chad Sadowy, regional sales manager for New Flyer, left, at the Electric and Hydrogen Vehicle Expo on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022 in Edmonton. The event is designed to give residents an opportunity to experience zero emission vehicles including battery electric passenger vehicles, hydrogen and electric buses, e-bikes and e-scooters.
PHOTO BY GREG SOUTHAM /Postmedia
If you’ve ever wondered what exhaust from a hydrogen powered bus tastes like, Strathcona County transit director Wade Coombs boils it down to one word: water.
“It tasted better than some places where you can get it out of the tap,” he said near two such vehicles parked outside the Edmonton Expo Centre on Saturday.
Rather than greenhouse gas, hydrogen fuel cell electric buses release water (and heat). After holding a clear cup to a sputtering tailpipe near one of the buses, Coombs threw back about half an ounce of the wet stuff to prove it.
Powered by electricity generated from hydrogen and oxygen, the two buses were on display for the Edmonton Electric and Hydrogen Vehicle Expo this weekend. The City of Edmonton and Strathcona County purchased the vehicles as part of the Alberta Zero Emission Hydrogen Transit initiative, a $9.8-million project that aims to road test the technology under Alberta conditions in a bid to cut greenhouse gas emissions causing climate change.
Manufactured by New Flyer, the Xcelsior model buses incorporate a Ballard fuel cell electric engine, said Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA), which contributed $4.6 million toward the project.
Eddie Robar, manager for Edmonton’s fleet and facility services branch, said the city expects to finalize all safety protocols, training and infrastructure needs for the new buses by the end of the year, and then run a 23-month pilot beginning in the first quarter of 2023.
The shift to electric vehicles, particularly those using hydrogen, will play an important role in the city’s plans to curb its carbon footprint while driving economic growth, Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi told Postmedia at the event.
“It will help us transition to a low-carbon economy, and at the same time help unlock billions of dollars of investment in hydrogen in our region,” he said.
ERA said the project will allow the municipalities to prepare proposals for the transit electrification program of the Canadian Infrastructure Bank or similar agencies, while a “positive experience” from the trial can increase demand for hydrogen and support the creation of fuelling stations and a distribution system in the province.
While delivering opening remarks to kick off the event, Sohi said the weekend-long expo — which also features electric cars, bicycles and scooters — offers the general public an opportunity to see the vehicles, test drive them, and learn about their benefits.
“As a former bus driver and a current e-bike owner, I love seeing people discover how cool these vehicles and bikes are,” he told the audience.
According to U.S. Department of Transportation, a zero-emission bus can prevent about 1,690 tons of carbon dioxide emissions over 12 years, which is the equivalent of taking about 27 cars off the road.
The city’s energy transition strategy aims to cut emissions to the tune of 35 per cent (compared to 2005 levels) by 2025, 50 per cent by 2030 and reach net-zero emissions per person by 2050.
Kent Snyder, planning and environment services branch manager for the city, joined Sohi on stage to note that raising awareness around the technology can help Edmonton shift toward achieving those targets.
Currently, about 77 per cent of city residents travel using personal vehicles, and transportation accounts for 30 per cent of Edmonton’s community emissions, Snyder said.
“It’s really important for us to look at how we move around our city, and try to reduce the impact of our daily trips through the city,” he said.
If you’ve ever wondered what exhaust from a hydrogen powered bus tastes like, Strathcona County transit director Wade Coombs boils it down to one word: water.
“It tasted better than some places where you can get it out of the tap,” he said near two such vehicles parked outside the Edmonton Expo Centre on Saturday.
Rather than greenhouse gas, hydrogen fuel cell electric buses release water (and heat). After holding a clear cup to a sputtering tailpipe near one of the buses, Coombs threw back about half an ounce of the wet stuff to prove it.
Powered by electricity generated from hydrogen and oxygen, the two buses were on display for the Edmonton Electric and Hydrogen Vehicle Expo this weekend. The City of Edmonton and Strathcona County purchased the vehicles as part of the Alberta Zero Emission Hydrogen Transit initiative, a $9.8-million project that aims to road test the technology under Alberta conditions in a bid to cut greenhouse gas emissions causing climate change.
Manufactured by New Flyer, the Xcelsior model buses incorporate a Ballard fuel cell electric engine, said Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA), which contributed $4.6 million toward the project.
Eddie Robar, manager for Edmonton’s fleet and facility services branch, said the city expects to finalize all safety protocols, training and infrastructure needs for the new buses by the end of the year, and then run a 23-month pilot beginning in the first quarter of 2023.
The shift to electric vehicles, particularly those using hydrogen, will play an important role in the city’s plans to curb its carbon footprint while driving economic growth, Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi told Postmedia at the event.
“It will help us transition to a low-carbon economy, and at the same time help unlock billions of dollars of investment in hydrogen in our region,” he said.
ERA said the project will allow the municipalities to prepare proposals for the transit electrification program of the Canadian Infrastructure Bank or similar agencies, while a “positive experience” from the trial can increase demand for hydrogen and support the creation of fuelling stations and a distribution system in the province.
While delivering opening remarks to kick off the event, Sohi said the weekend-long expo — which also features electric cars, bicycles and scooters — offers the general public an opportunity to see the vehicles, test drive them, and learn about their benefits.
“As a former bus driver and a current e-bike owner, I love seeing people discover how cool these vehicles and bikes are,” he told the audience.
According to U.S. Department of Transportation, a zero-emission bus can prevent about 1,690 tons of carbon dioxide emissions over 12 years, which is the equivalent of taking about 27 cars off the road.
The city’s energy transition strategy aims to cut emissions to the tune of 35 per cent (compared to 2005 levels) by 2025, 50 per cent by 2030 and reach net-zero emissions per person by 2050.
Kent Snyder, planning and environment services branch manager for the city, joined Sohi on stage to note that raising awareness around the technology can help Edmonton shift toward achieving those targets.
Currently, about 77 per cent of city residents travel using personal vehicles, and transportation accounts for 30 per cent of Edmonton’s community emissions, Snyder said.
“It’s really important for us to look at how we move around our city, and try to reduce the impact of our daily trips through the city,” he said.
Mayor Amarjeet Sohi, right, sits in the driver’s seat of Edmonton’s new hydrogen bus with Chad Sadowy, regional sales manager for New Flyer, at the Electric and Hydrogen Vehicle Expo on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022, in Edmonton.
PHOTO BY GREG SOUTHAM /Postmedia
hissawi@postmedia.com
@hamdiissawi
hissawi@postmedia.com
@hamdiissawi
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