The San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans) contracted the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) in April 2022 to evaluate the feasibility of SamTrans deploying 10 hydrogen fuel cell electric buses (FCEBs). After CTE reported its findings to SamTrans in July 2022, the agency tasked CTE with evaluating the feasibility of SamTrans converting its entire North Base fleet to FCEBs. To complete these studies, CTE performed the following tasks:
• Site visits to the SamTrans’ North Base facility to assess potential locations for the placement of interim and permanent fueling stations and to determine the facility upgrades required to enable the safe maintenance and operation of FCEBs.
• Road tests of New Flyer FCEBs on SamTrans routes and an analysis of the data collected to determine the fuel efficiency of future SamTrans FCEBs.
• A market survey of hydrogen fueling station and fuel suppliers.
• Route feasibility and fuel needs analyses for multiple potential FCEB fleet-size scenarios.
• A lifecycle cost and requirements analysis of a transition to a full- FCEB North Base fleet.
CTE delivered a report to SamTrans regarding its analysis of a North Base FCEB transition in March 2023. SamTrans utilized the report in a presentation to its board which recommended the full conversion of its North Base fleet to FCEB technology.
CTE also reviewed designs for the upgrade of North Base facilities for FCEB compatibility and supported the procurement of an interim fueling solution for SamTrans’ 10 FCEB fleet.
In April 2023 and in June 2024, SamTrans issued new work directives to CTE to provide deployment support for the agency’s interim hydrogen fueling solution, to conduct analyses on the performance of SamTrans’ newly received FCEBs, and to support SamTrans in the issuance of a competitive procurement of a full-scale hydrogen station.
