Ballard now powering New Zealand’s fuel cell electric bus

Global Bus Ventures first Fuel Cell Electric Bus, powered by a Ballard FCmove® fuel cell module, is planned to be deployed with Auckland Transport in New Zealand (CNW Group/Ballard Power Systems Inc.)

VANCOUVER, BC — Ballard Power Systems announced that the Company’s FCmove fuel cell module is powering the Fuel Cell Electric Bus (FCEB) manufactured in New Zealand. The FCEB has been designed and built by Global Bus Ventures, and is currently completing testing activities with planned deployment in revenue service later this month with Auckland Transport.

New Zealand passed its Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Act 2019, putting the country on a path to net zero emissions by 2050 and making it one of the few countries to have a zero-emissions goal enshrined in law.

“We selected Ballard as they have a strong fuel cell history in mobile applications and their latest FCmove product is a perfect fit for us. The fact that the system was commissioned remotely due to the COVID border restrictions shows the quality of the Ballard support team and the can-do attitude and ingenuity of our New Zealand engineering team,” Mike Parker, Executive Vice President at Global Bus Ventures said, in a prepared statement. “The successful running of this system paves the way for a strong future in manufacturing these high-technology zero-emission buses in New Zealand.”