Loop Energy, a designer and manufacturer of hydrogen fuel cell solutions, has reported that it will supply fuel cell modules to Aluminium Revolutionary Chassis Company (ARCC), the developer and manufacturer of Australia's first lightweight bolted aluminium city bus chassis, in the promising Australian bus market. ARCC is Loop Energy's first Australian customer, demonstrating the country's rising interest in hydrogen-electric cars as a means of meeting its emissions reduction goals.
The first Fuel Cell bus will be unveiled by Loop Energy and ARCC at the Australia Bus & Coach Expo in October 2022. ARCC's 12.5-metre Viking Hydrolight city bus type will be equipped with Loop Energy's T600 (60 kW) fuel cell module, which is expected to enter service in 2023. ARCC's unusual lightweight chassis is mostly bolted, with fewer than 5% weld elements, and features an aluminium frame.
“ARCC is proud to manufacture the only zero-emissions bus designed with a full-length aluminium chassis in Australia. We are excited to have Loop Energy’s eFlow technology play an important role in powering the Viking Hydrolight bus,” said ARCC Managing Director, Peter Murley.
“The electric bus market is quickly emerging as an important market segment for fuel cells. We are very proud that we have continued to grow our footprint in this sector in Europe, China, Asia and now in Australia. We view the partnership with ARCC as a positive step to continuing our inroads into the electric bus market and supporting the development of next-generation bus platforms globally,” said George Rubin, Loop Energy Chief Commercial Officer.
The reduced bus weight, along with Loop Energy's eFlow technology's higher fuel efficiency, will cut fuel consumption while allowing for more passenger capacity than competing electric buses on the market. ARCC is now testing a hydrogen-electric bus with the New South Wales state government.
ARCC is now running a hydrogen-electric bus in a trial run by the New South Wales State Government to see how hydrogen technology may fit into a larger deployment of zero-emission buses. In 2019, Australia unveiled its National Hydrogen Strategy, laying the groundwork for the country's ambition to become a significant global hydrogen player by 2030. The governments of New South Wales and Queensland have committed to increasing Green Hydrogen production and launching over 10,000 hydrogen-electric cars.
Responses
