Foothill Transit achieved a new high in refueling efficiency: 19.1 kg of hydrogen in 6.5 minutes

Foothill Transit and the Canadian Centre for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) have partnered to announce a breakthrough hydrogen fueling efficiency achievement at Foothill Transit's state-of-the-art hydrogen fueling station located at its Pomona Operations and maintenance facility.

Foothill Transit successfully refueled 18 fuel cell buses continuously over a 90-minute period. This is achieved by using two hydrogenators at the same time. Based on performance test data, CTE's model predicted that Foothill would be able to refuel 19.1 kg of hydrogen in about 6.5 minutes. Foothill Transit gas stations take about 5.5 minutes to fill up buses for similar tasks. If hydrogen fuel filling can continue to be simplified, matching the speed of CNG filling has the potential to accelerate the widespread adoption of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

The station has the capacity to support approximately 109 fuel cell buses within the existing 10.5-hour refueling window, with an average standard refueling time of 11.5 minutes per refueling, including dwell time. The capital cost of the hydrogen fueling station is approximately $6.45 million, which is comparable to CNG stations of similar size.

As project manager and technical advisor for the design and construction of Foothill Transit, CTE supported Foothill Transit during the planning phase of the project, completed the analysis of the refueling station layout, and conducted audits of existing bus refueling stations in the United States. Perform a comprehensive hydrogen uptake analysis based on Foothill Route energy intensity and market-ready fuel cell electric buses (FCEBs) to evaluate hydrogen suppliers and equipment.

Subsequently, CTE completed an assessment of the feasibility and market value of the joint use of a public hydrogen fueling station at Foothill Transit's Pomona facility. These analyses inform the specifications of hydrogen fueling stations and maintenance facilities. Throughout the project, CTE has been involved in various funding opportunities that may be of interest to Foothill Transit and has provided ongoing project management support and technical guidance.