The buses, which are the first of a 15-strong order which will be fulfilled before the end of the year, are Mercedes-Benz ‘Intouro’ intercity buses which Safra has retrofitted with electric drivetrain components, fuel cells, and hydrogen storage tanks.

Ballard has announced an additional USD 54 million in U.S. federal funding (investment tax credits) for its planned fuel cell production facility in Rockwall Texas. This brings the total in federal funding to USD 94 million, through various U.S. departments including the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office and now the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as part of the Qualifying Advanced Energy Project Tax Credit (48C*), funded by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

The HVS tractor unit was powered by green hydrogen with the aim of demonstrating its real-world capabilities with each testing phase concentrating on specific aspects of the vehicle design and performance (electric and thermal) in various weather conditions.

The acquisition is part of a EUR54m investment by the National Transport Authority which will fund the replacement of Limerick’s bus fleet with battery-powered vehicles.

The funding is being allocated to the government’s Zero Emission Buses Regional Area (ZEBRA, now ZEBRA 2) Scheme, initially launched in 2021 to allow local transport authorities to bid for funding for zero-emission buses and supporting infrastructure.

The Department of Energy claims that, by funding these projects, it will facilitate the production of up to 50,000 new medium- and heavy-duty trucks and the supply of enough hydrogen to fuel nearly 170,000 long haul trucks in a single year.

The most recent investment of USD300,000 is the third such (not including the grants) made by the state research authority in Viatec, totalling USD750,000 over six years.

New York Mayor, Eric Adams, announced USD 77 million in federal funding for the New York School Bus Incentive Program (NYSBIP), which provides subsidies to help NY school districts fund the acquisition of 180 new electric school buses.

The first project is a joint program with Czech truck manufacturer, Tatra Trucks to co-develop a specialised off-road truck prototype called the “Battery Electric Tatra Truck” with multi-speed Transmission (BETTT). Eaton will be responsible for the development of the power distribution unit (PDU) and 4-speed EV transmission.

The 1,000th ‘Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley’ electric vehicle was delivered as part of an order for 8 electric school buses, which were reportedly funded through the ‘Clean School Bus’ federal grant programme.

Ballard has announced plans for a USD 200 million twenty-two acre fuel cell production Gigafactory (“Ballard Rockwall Giga 1”) in Rockwall, Texas. Ballard has confirmed that USD 40 million in subsidies/grants is expected from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office, through the Clean Hydrogen Electrolysis, Manufacturing, and Recycling Program.

Delegates of Hydrogen UK’s annual conference, held at the National Conference Centre in Birmingham on 12 March, left the event with no doubts about the future of the burgeoning hydrogen economy. Opening the conference, Clare Jackson, CEO of Hydrogen UK, declared that “net zero is not possible without hydrogen”. The burning question is, will the UK have any significant part in its development?