U.S. and Canada See Surge in Zero-Emission Buses, Fuel Cell Technology Gains Momentum in Transit Sector

Transport agencies in the United States and Canada have been making significant progress in electrifying their fleets with zero-emission buses (ZEBs). According to CALSTART’s “Zeroing in on ZEBs”, as of September 2023, the number of full-size transit Zebs in the US has surged to 6,147, indicating a significant embrace of sustainable transit solutions. Despite the dominance of battery-electric buses, there has been a 75 percent increase in the adoption of fuel cell electric buses (FCEBs), indicating a growing interest in fuel cell technology. Funding initiatives such as the Federal Transit Administration’s Low and No Emission Program and the Grants for Bus and Bus Facilities Program have supported these efforts. The surge in FCEB adoption highlights an increasing recognition of the potential of fuelcell technology in revolutionizing the transit sector.