City Transportation
More and more people live in cities and depend for transportation on public transportation. Buses offer cities the advantage of flexibility, changes in routes to meet changing demand and traffic patterns. The biggest drawback of buses is their emissions (exhaust gasses and particle emissions) that result in significant health costs and economic losses. Increasingly the noise produced by buses is becoming an issue. Delivery trucks going into cities create similar issues as buses and the solutions can be similar as well, especially in larger cities.
Electrical autonomous buses, powered by batteries or fuel cells, offer a range of advantages over buses with an internal combustion engine (ICE). Below table provides an overview of the strength and weaknesses of each application.
|
Nedstack PEM FC |
ICE on LPG or Diesel |
Battery |
Zero emission/no noise
|
+ |
|
+ |
Fast refuels
|
+ |
+ |
|
Guaranteed autonomy
|
+
|
+ |
|
Affordable scalability of runtime
|
+ |
+ |
|
Fuel flexibility
|
+ |
|
|
Low maintenance frequency
|
+ |
|
|
| Low initial investment |
|
+ |
|
| Low total cost of ownership |
+ |
|
|
Zero emission/no noise
To keep our living space healthy, we are looking for city transportation that do not pollute the environment. Both battery and fuel cell operated vehicles are clean and quiet: no emissions, no noise. The low operating temperature of Nedstack PEM fuel cells makes them a safe solution. |
Fast refuels
Despite all benefits of battery-operated systems, they have one major drawback: batteries get depleted and need to be reloaded. That takes time, and time is not always available when there is a public time table to be met. Fuel cells powered vehicles, like those with combustion engines, are fill up and go. Nedstack PEM fuel cells also offer the benefit of quick starts and stops. |
Guaranteed autonomy
Another drawback of battery-operated vehicles is the uncertainty about their reach. Both diesel and fuel cell powered vehicles have guaranteed autonomy, which only depends on the size of their fuel tank size. |
Affordable scalability of runtime
Extending the autonomous runtime for a battery operated vehicle requires substantial investments. The reach of both diesel and fuel cell driven vehicles is much more scalable. A larger fuel tank size will do the job. |
Fuel flexibility
LPG and diesel are still widely available. However, with fossil fuel prices expected to rise over the coming years, one would wish for more fuel flexibility. Fuel cell powered systems, when fitted with a suitable reformer, can operate on a wide range of fuels. A single reformer can be installed at the refuelling point. |
Low maintenance frequency
Nedstack fuel cells are the proven and robust answer to the high demands of city transportation. They require little maintenance, have excellent load following characteristics and operate reliably over a range of temperatures and other environmental factors. |
Low initial investment
Next to unfamiliarity, there is one other aspect slowing down the uptake of fuel cell systems: they still require a higher initial investment (CapEx) than internal combustion engines (ICE) and batteries. At Nedstack, we are working hard to further decrease customer costs. Eventually, fuel cell stacks may become economically competitive from the start. |
Low total cost of ownership
Despite their higher CapEx, city busses and delivery trucks with Nedstack fuel cell stacks already offer a lower cost of ownership than traditional alternatives. And isn’t it this total lifetime cost that actually counts. Fuel cells enable long autonomous runs, quick refuels, quick starts and stops, and require little maintenance. Therefore, they result in higher system availability and flexibility, and lower running expenses (OpEx). As a result Nedstack fuel cells contribute to a healthier and safer city environment, without any of the drawbacks of battery powered buses. |
