New Flyer of America Inc. recently celebrated Orange County Transportation Authority’s (OCTA) unveiling of 10 new zero-emission, hydrogen fuel cell-electric Xcelsior CHARGE H2™ heavy-duty transit buses in Santa Ana, California. The order was previously announced in April 2018, at that time becoming America’s largest procurement and deployment of fuel cell-electric buses.
The buses, which are battery-electric vehicles using compressed hydrogen as an energy source, were unveiled during a celebratory event hosted by OCTA Chief Executive Officer Darrell Johnson and OCTA Chairman and Mayor of Garden Grove Steve Jones, alongside Congressman Gil Cisneros and other project partners including the California Air Resources Board (CARB), South Coast Air Quality Management District, and Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE). Together, the buses add sustainability to OCTA’s fleet and will serve communities throughout Anaheim, Garden Grove, Orange, Santa Ana, and Westminster.
In addition to launching the ten Xcelsior CHARGE H2™ buses into service, OCTA also debuted the largest hydrogen fueling station in the nation for public transportation, showcasing its $22.6 million investment in zero-emission transit.
“Since 1990, New Flyer has proudly delivered over 1,000 buses to OCTA and today is thrilled to support its continued evolution to zero-emission; reducing California’s carbon footprint and providing cleaner, healthier, quieter neighborhoods,” said Chris Stoddart, president at New Flyer. “As OCTA works toward its 2021 vision focused on sustainability, reliability, and innovative leadership in transit, New Flyer will continue to provide mobility solutions that protect the surrounding environment and build livable communities across Orange County.”
New Flyer has delivered nearly 10,400 buses into the State of California and has over 200 on order or pending delivery over the coming year.
OCTA serves 34 cities within Orange County, providing transportation to the state’s third-largest county and supporting nearly 40 million passengers per year. OCTA and New Flyer are partners in the Fuel Cell Electric Bus Commercialization Consortium project (FCEBCC) funded by CARB through the statewide initiative known as California Climate Investments (CCI). To date, the funding award of $12.47 million is the largest single grant from CARB to a transit agency, supporting CARB’s statewide mandate that public transit agencies transition to 100% zero- emission bus fleets by 2040.
New Flyer manufactures the Xcelsior CHARGE H2™ in 40- and 60-foot lengths. The Xcelsior CHARGE H2™ for OCTA is able to achieve in excess of 300 miles of zero-emission range without refueling. For more information, visit newflyer.com/CHARGEH2.
NFI offers four locations in California to support customers with bus service, parts, and manufacturing support, located in Ontario, Los Alamitos, Fresno, and the Bay Area (Hayward).
The FCEBCC project is part of CCI, a statewide initiative investing billions of cap-and-trade dollars into the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy and improving public health and the environment, particularly in disadvantaged communities. It also creates incentive for industries to invest in clean technologies and develop innovative ways to reduce pollution. CCI projects include affordable housing, renewable energy, public transportation, zero-emission vehicles, environmental restoration, more sustainable agriculture, recycling and much more. At least 35% of these investments are made in disadvantaged and low-income communities. For more information, visit arb.ca.gov/caclimateinvestments.