FLINT, MI — Flint is replacing its final two diesel buses with a pair of new hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles, completing its switch to clean energy public transportation.
The authority is purchasing the two new buses with help from a $4.3 million federal grant. The dollars were funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which authorized up to $108 billion to support federal public transportation programs.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was in town Wednesday afternoon, April 26, to celebrate the Flint Mass Transportation Authority’s hydrogen bus initiative.
“We know that transportation is a critical need for a lot of people in our state,” Whitmer said. “We also know it’s our duty to make sure its accessible and affordable and clean.
Hydrogen is a colorless, odorless, flammable gas that already powers some cars, trucks, buses, and trains. A shortage of fueling stations, however, limits its appeal.
Flint’s transit authority developed its hydrogen fueling facility in 2010, with the goal of working toward zero emissions. It’s been slowly updating its fleet, replacing the diesel vehicles, over the last decade.
Whitmer said Flint’s success is an example of what’s possible for other communities. The city added its first hydrogen fuel cell bus in May 2012. As of 2016, MTA had about 34% of its fleet fueled with propane, compressed natural gas or hydrogen fuel cells, according to the organization’s strategic plan.
