ACT ZEBs
What is a ZEB?
ZEB stands for “Zero Emission Bus.” Quite simply, these buses expel no tailpipe emissions. In December of 2018, the California Air Resources Board approved a first-of-its-kind regulation in the United States that sets a statewide goal for public transit agencies to transition to a complete zero-emission bus fleet by 2040. Read AC Transit’s full Zero Emissions Bus Rollout Plan here.
A History of Forward-Thinking Technologies
AC Transit has a proud history of embracing environmental technology in its efforts to better serve the community we serve. Our first hydrogen fueling facility was opened in November of 2002 at our Richmond Division to operate a single 30-foot fuel cell electric bus. In 2006, we launched our first-generation fuel cell electric bus pilot program, operating three vehicles and a station out of our Seminary Division. In 2010, we added 13 second-generation fuel cell electric buses into the fleet and opened a second hydrogen fueling station at our Emeryville Division. A solid oxide stationary fuel cell was added to our Seminary Division in 2013. Then, the following year, we opened a new hydrogen fueling station on the site. In 2017, our fuel cell power plants surpassed DOE and FTA target numbers of 25,000 hours of operation.
In 2019, AC Transit embarked on a true side-by-side comparison with the incorporation of five battery electric buses and seven charging stations into our expanding fleet of ZEBs. Our intent is to run hydrogen and battery electric vehicles in identical service to collect real-world performance data for comparison—and to determine which technology performs better to meet the needs of our service as we move towards a complete zero-emission fleet by 2040.
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles & Facilities
In 2019, AC Transit added 10 New Flyer fuel cell electric buses to its fleet but plans to continue running the last-generation vehicles in service for as long as possible. Hydrogen fueling stations are located at two of AC Transit’s facilities—one in Oakland and one in Emeryville.
In 2019, AC Transit added battery-electric technology into its mix of zero emission vehicles. We currently are running 5 New Flyer battery electric buses out of our Oakland facility, where six stationary chargers and one portable charger are located.