NEW FLYER SIGNS EXCLUSIVE AGREEMENT WITH BALLARD FOR FUEL CELL BUSES
New Flyer Industries Inc., manufacturer of the New Flyer heavy-duty transit vehicles in Canada and the United States, announced recently that it has signed an exclusive five-year agreement with Ballard Power Systems for use of fuel cell modules in shuttle buses that New Flyer plans to develop.
New Flyer's commercial relationship with Ballard began in 1993, when the
two companies developed the world's first hydrogen fuel cell bus. In 2007, New
Flyer was awarded a contract by BC Transit for the world's largest fleet of
hydrogen fuel cell buses, and Ballard was named as the fuel cell technology
provider.
Shuttle buses are smaller and lighter than full-size buses, typically
less than thirty-two feet in length, and are intended for use in a range of
growing applications, such as community feeder routes, where their reduced
noise profile and emission-free operation is highly valued. Under the
agreement, New Flyer will develop and manufacture a shuttle bus specifically
suited for Ballard's fuel cell technology and Ballard's existing fuel cell
module will be integrated into the New Flyer shuttle bus chassis.
