BOSTON--The Northeast Advanced Vehicle Consortium (NAVC) announced today the start of six new projects with the signing of contracts with the Federal Transit Administration as part of the National Fuel Cell Bus Program. NAVC, in a competitive solicitation, won the most programs in the nation.

"By funding this program, Congress has allowed the transit industry to continue its long tradition as an innovator in the areas of alternative fuels and technology," said FTA Administrator James Simpson. "Through this national program, we can consolidate--and accelerate--the process of making hydrogen buses commercially feasible as cleaner, more energy-efficient alternatives."

"We look forward to working with FTA and all our partners to advance non-petroleum-based transit solutions for future transportation needs," said NAVC Executive Director Sheila Lynch.

The new projects under contract with NAVC are:

UTC Power- CT. UTC Power will develop four zero-emission fuel cell-powered hybrid electric buses using the most advanced technology from UTC Power and test them with partner CTTRANSIT, which is already operating a transit bus equipped with a UTC Power fuel cell. The buses also will be tested with other transit agencies in diverse areas across the nation as the program evolves over four years.

Program funding from FTA- $8,355,000 Match $8.355 million Total $16,710,000

GE Research -N.Y. The goal over the four-year project is to build and demonstrate a transit bus that operates at lower cost than conventional fuel cell buses by advancing energy storage components and developing new control techniques to manage fuel cell output through the use of hybrid energy storage systems. GE will apply experience in controls development and optimization to existing hybrid technologies to bring higher efficiencies and lower costs to fuel cell bus propulsion systems. A new advanced lithium ion battery from A-123 will be demonstrated as part of the program as well as a lightweight bus body and fuel cell technology.

Program funding from FTA- $6,695,000 Match $6,695,000 Total $13,390,000

New York Power Authority-N.Y. The New York Power Authority (NYPA) will be the lead on the program, providing cost share, which includes a large hydrogen infrastructure program. Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) will procure two fuel cell buses from New Flyer using Ballard and ISE's most advanced technology. NFTA will then operate the two buses in transit service at Niagara Falls. This program will utilize renewable hydropower from the NYPA owned Niagara Power Project to generate hydrogen through electrolysis for a true zero emission bus project.

Program funding from FTA- $6,120,000 Match $6,320,000 Total $12,440,000

Nuvera-MA. The program will design one 40-foot, hydrogen-powered fuel cell bus and one natural gas based hydrogen refueling station at the Logan International Airport in Boston Massachusetts. Partners include Massport, the commercial end user and transit authority; ISE Corporation, the vehicle integrator; Keyspan, the natural gas supplier; AVSG, the installer of the hydrogen refueling station; and MBTA, the transit authority. Nuvera is working with Fiat Powertrain to commercialize a fuel cell power module for use in bus and truck applications. This program will also validate the Nuvera PowerTap as a cost effective hydrogen refueling station.

Program funding from FTA- $4,875,000 Match $4,875,000 Total $9,750,000

NAVC also was contracted by FTA to continue to staff the FTA National Fuel Cell Working Group and the International Fuel Cell Bus Committees for $900,000 for four years. NAVC will coordinate activities for FTA on the International Fuel Cell Working Group and collaboration and outreach efforts for international fuel cell bus demonstration efforts and the FTA National Fuel Cell Working Group.

NAVC is a public-private partnership of companies, public agencies, and others working together to promote advanced vehicle technologies in the Northeast United States. The NAVC also conducts technology analysis, publishing educational reports on clean vehicle technologies for the transportation community, technology developers, policymakers, and environmental advocates. NAVC has developed over $100 million of hybrid, fuel cell, battery, and components for advanced transportation technology projects and demonstrations since it founding in 1993 with many public agencies, private corporations and non-profits. NAVC reports such as "Future Wheels" and "Hybrid Bus Analysis" have been downloaded hundreds of thousands of time from our web site.

NAVC's Board of Directors are appointed by the six New England Governors, the Governors of New York and New Jersey, and the Mayor of New York City. Our Board of Directors also includes the New England Governors' Conference and the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM).