North America's largest transit bus maker, New Flyer of America Inc. and New Flyer Canada ULC (collectively “New Flyer”), has ordered high-pressure hydrogen tanks from Hexagon Composites to be used on 25 of its groundbreaking Xcelsior® hydrogen fuel cell (or fuel cell-electric) transit buses.
“New Flyer and Hexagon have been breaking new ground in alternative fuel use since 1993,” said Rick Rashilla, Senior Vice President of Hydrogen Automotive for Hexagon Composites Group. “Pressure containment technology is the foundation of our company. We are pleased to combine the attributes of our current hydrogen tanks with the successful reliability of the compressed natural gas tanks used by New Flyer today.”
The new hydrogen tanks, which rely upon Hexagon's internally developed technology, will be used to store compressed zero-emission hydrogen gas as an alternative to natural gas and diesel fuel. The high-pressure tanks have successfully completed requirements for North American and European standards. This tank joins a global product line of long length hydrogen tanks for the medium and heavy-duty fuel cell vehicle market. The products store hydrogen at 350 bar and 700 bar to feed the fuel cell that provides electrical power to the drivetrain and accessories.
“New Flyer is a zero-emission pioneer with over 50 years' experience manufacturing electric transit buses. The adoption of fuel cell technology is a natural progression for us, and fuel cell-electric buses are an essential technology for driving the future of public transit in North America,” said Rod Neustaedter, Vice President of Supply Management at New Flyer. “As communities increasingly adopt zero-emission, sustainable transportation, New Flyer will proudly support healthier cities with fuel cell-electric transit buses with hydrogen from Hexagon.”
The high-pressure hydrogen cylinders have been delivered to New Flyer. The Xcelsior transit buses, which will operate in the state of California, US, are currently being manufactured at New Flyer's facility in Anniston, Alabama.
About New Flyer
New Flyer is North America's heavy-duty transit bus leader and offers the most advanced product line under the Xcelsior®and Xcelsior CHARGE(TM) brands. New Flyer actively supports over 41,000 heavy-duty transit buses (New Flyer, NABI, and Orion) currently in service, of which 7,300 are powered by electric motors and battery propulsion and 1,600 are zero-emission. Further information is available at www.newflyer.com
About Hexagon Composites ASA
Hexagon Composites delivers safe and innovative solutions for a cleaner energy future. We are adapting our leading composite pressure vessel technology for a wide range of mobility and storage applications.
For more information, please visit www.hexagon.no
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