ENDICOTT, N.Y. — BAE Systems, which specializes in heavy-duty electric-propulsion systems, says it will supply its next-generation, electric power and propulsion systems for three hydrogen-fuel cell buses in Rochester, allowing them to run emission free.
The company will provide its Gen3 electric-drive system for ElDorado National (California)’s Axess EVO-FC hydrogen-fuel-cell bus. The technology will advance the Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority’s goal of reducing its carbon footprint and transitioning to a zero-emission fleet, BAE Systems said in a release.
The company will produce the Gen3 systems at its manufacturing facilities in Endicott in Broome County.
The order is funded by Federal Transit Administration’s Low or No Emission Vehicle Grant Program, which aims to support the transition to low-emission and zero-emission public-transit fleets.
It is also the first hydrogen-fuel cell bus order to benefit from BAE Systems’ Gen3 electric-drive system.
“We are proud to accelerate Rochester’s clean energy goals with turnkey hydrogen solutions using technology made right here in New York,” Steve Trichka, VP and general manager of power & propulsion solutions at BAE Systems, said. “Our Gen3 system will deliver highly efficient and sustainable transportation operations through advanced clean hydrogen innovation.”
The Gen3 series-H system includes an electric motor, energy-storage system, and modular power electronics to create a clean mode of transportation for the buses, BAE Systems said.
The company’s latest technology uses advanced materials with lightweight, compact components to “increase electrical efficiency for extended drive range.” Its “flexible design allows for a simplified approach to system integration for best-in-class vehicle power and performance,” the firm noted.
BAE Systems has been commercializing hydrogen-fuel cell technology since first integrating fuel-cell powered buses in 1998. The company now has more than 15,000 propulsion systems in service on transit buses around the globe, per its release.
About BAE Systems
Headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, BAE Systems, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of UK–based BAE Systems plc, a global defense, security, and aerospace company. Its website says the firm employs nearly 90,000 globally. That figure includes more than 1,300 employees in Endicott, per a company spokesman.