Brazil Unveils Hydrogen Bus
Hydrogen may just be making its come back in America, but its definitely gaining some momentum in Brazil. Earlier this week, Brazil announced plants to buy, operate and maintain up to five hydrogen-cell-fueled buses as well as install the station to produce the hydrogen to supply the fuel for the buses. The first vehicle will serve the ABD Metropolitan Corridor (Sao Mateus / Jabaquara), located in the Greater Sao Paulo area.
The bus uses a hybrid system that combines hydrogen cells with batteries. This strategy allows for increased fuel savings and lower energy use. The batteries can be used to store the energy generated by the cell during the periods when the vehicle is idle (for passenger boarding or at traffic lights, for instance), in addition to regenerating braking energy. The hydrogen fuel cell system – which generates 68kW - is specific for automotive use, making it less expensive. This is similar to how an electric car such as the Tesla, or a hybrid car such as the Volt works.
