Foothill Transit grows fuel-cell-electric bus fleet
Foothill Transit, a public transport agency serving the San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys in Southern California, is furthering its sustainability efforts with the introduction of Axess EVO-FC buses to its fleet. Manufacturer ElDorado National (ENC) will produce the buses in Riverside, CA.
ENC is a subsidiary of REV Group and has been focussing on zero-emission technology for some time. The portfolio includes the battery-electric models and the hydrogen model Foothill Transit just opted for.
The 19 Axess EVO-FC buses feature BAE Systems’ Gen3 electric propulsion system which ENC utilises as a structural powertrain across both platforms since October 2022. The 125kW hydrogen fuel cell comes from Plug Power and BAE and ENC consider the system the best-in-class. The onboard fuel cells offer a range of up to 400 miles and a refueling time of just 12 to 20 minutes.
“The Axess EVO-FC is the perfect addition to Foothill Transit’s zero-emissions fleet,” said Mike Ammann, Vice President of Sales, ENC. He emphasized ENC’s commitment to advancing alternative fuel buses that empower transit authorities to operate in a more environmentally sustainable manner.
ENC is currently accepting orders for the Axess EVO-FC buses, as well as their complete range of zero-emissions buses. The bus manufacturer became the first manufacturer to complete the rigorous 12-year/500,000-mile FTA Altoona test for a hydrogen fuel cell bus in 2018.
For Foothill Transit, this is not the first fuel cell bus: In autumn 2021, the agency opted for New Flyer’s hydrogen model and ordered 20 vehicles as reported. The company also has several battery-electric buses built by Proterra in its fleet. Proterra also supplies batteries to ENC to power its BEV bus model.
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