Birmingham, AL – A hydrogen cell-powered transit bus will carry passengers next year as part of a study to determine if the fuel-efficient vehicles can operate as part of Birmingham's transit fleet.
A UAB School of Engineering team will work with four other teams, including one from Auburn University, to design and evaluate the 30-foot prototype bus on a variety of routes.
The Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority will operate the bus that will be compared to regular diesel and natural gas buses. The project is funded through a congressional earmark from U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby to research alternative fuels and hydrogen.
Two small hydrogen fuel cells will be used to power a bus in Phase I of the study. If that works, the next phase will use a larger cell.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)