VANCOUVER, Feb. 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Ballard Power
Systems (NASDAQ: BLDP; TSX: BLDP) today announced the Company's
membership in the "Fuel Cell Electric Bus Commercialization
Consortium" (FCEBCC), a large-scale project for which funding has
now been committed to support deployment of 20 zero-emission
hydrogen fuel cell electric buses at two California transit agencies. Ten (10) buses
are to be deployed with Alameda Contra-Costa Transit District (AC
Transit) and 10 buses are to be deployed with the Orange County
Transportation Authority (OCTA).
The FCEBCC project is funded and sponsored by: the California
Air Resources Board (CARB) through the California Climate
Investments program; the Bay Area Air Quality Management District
(BAAQMD); and the South Coast Air Quality Management District
(SCAQMD). The Center for Transportation and Environment (CTE), a
non-profit member-based organization, is providing project
management and oversight.
Ballard will be providing 20 of
its FCveloCity®-HD 85-kilowatt fuel cell engines to New
Flyer of America Inc., a subsidiary of New Flyer Industries Inc.
("New Flyer"), the largest transit bus and motor coach manufacturer
and parts distributor in North
America. Ballard's engines
will power New Flyer 40-foot Xcelsior XHE40 fuel cell buses, which
are planned to be delivered and in-service with AC Transit and OCTA
by the end of 2018. The buses are to be supported by advanced
hydrogen fueling infrastructure provided by The Linde Group.
Karim Kassam, Ballard's Vice President – Commercial said,
"This program represents an important next step in the broader
adoption of fuel cell buses in the U.S. market. The consortium's
work will result in the largest deployment of fuel cell buses to
this point in the United States.
Ballard looks forward to
supporting AC Transit and OCTA in their use of clean energy fuel
cell buses to help reduce dependence on petroleum and to reduce
pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in California."
The New Flyer Xcelsior buses, powered by Ballard engines, have a range of approximately
500 kilometers (over 300 miles), can be refueled in less than
10-minutes without the need for overnight plug-in battery
recharging, can replace conventional buses without compromising
operational performance, and generate zero tailpipe emissions.
Ballard has powered buses for
over a cumulative 10 million kilometers (6.2 million miles) in
revenue service – more than any other fuel cell company – and New
Flyer has been very active in the North American fuel cell electric
bus market. These efforts have contributed to improving the
durability and reliability of these buses while demonstrating fuel
economy 1.4x higher than diesel buses and 1.9x higher than CNG
buses (refer to page viii of NREL report –
http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy17osti/67097.pdf).
This Fuel Cell Electric Bus Commercialization Consortium
is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide
program that puts billions of cap-and-trade dollars to work
reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy and
improving public health and the environment—particularly in
disadvantaged communities. The cap-and-trade program also creates a
financial incentive for industries to invest in clean technologies
and develop innovative ways to reduce pollution. California Climate
Investment projects include affordable housing, renewable energy,
public transportation, zero-emission vehicles, environmental
restoration, more sustainable agriculture, recycling and much more.
At least 35 percent of these investments are made in disadvantaged
and low-income communities. For more information, visit California
Climate Investments, https://arb.ca.gov/caclimateinvestments.
About Ballard Power Systems
Ballard Power Systems
(NASDAQ: BLDP; TSX: BLDP) provides clean energy products that
reduce customer costs and risks, and helps customers solve
difficult technical and business challenges in their fuel cell
programs. To learn more about Ballard, please visit www.ballard.com.
This release contains forward-looking statements concerning
anticipated product performance, customer benefits and market
demand for our products. These forward-looking statements reflect
Ballard's current expectations as
contemplated under section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended. Any such forward-looking statements are based on
Ballard's assumptions relating to
its financial forecasts and expectations regarding its product
development efforts, manufacturing capacity, and market demand.
These statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause
Ballard's actual results to be
materially different, including general economic and regulatory
changes, detrimental reliance on third parties, successfully
achieving our business plans and achieving and sustaining
profitability. For a detailed discussion of these and other risk
factors that could affect Ballard's future performance, please refer to
Ballard's most recent Annual
Information Form. Readers should not place undue reliance on
Ballard's forward-looking
statements and Ballard assumes no
obligation to update or release any revisions to these forward
looking statements, other than as required under applicable
legislation.
This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the
solicitation of an offer to buy securities. The Ballard Common
Shares have not been registered under the United States Securities
Act of 1933, as amended, or the securities laws of any other
jurisdiction and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an
applicable exemption from registration requirements.
SOURCE Ballard Power Systems Inc.