The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) has added two hydrogen fuel cell electric buses to its fleet.
These vehicles are the first hydrogen-powered buses to operate in the state of Nevada.
During an event hosted at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), one of the two 40-foot vehicles was unveiled by US Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, US Representative Susie Lee, Nevada Senate President Pro Tempore Pat Spearman, RTC Chair and Clark County Commissioner Justin Jones and RTC CEO MJ Maynard.
“As Southern Nevada steers towards a greener future, embracing sustainable transportation options is a responsible environmental choice that drives our community forward,” said Jones. “By investing in sustainable technology, we’re creating green-collar jobs that benefit both our environment and our economy.”
The new buses were funded with a 3.8-million USD Low or No Emission Grant from the US Department of Transportation. This grant also provides funding to train staff in maintaining and operating the new technology.
In addition to these two initial vehicles, a further seven 60-foot hydrogen fuel cell buses have been ordered and will be delivered to Southern Nevada in autumn 2024.
The new buses were manufactured by New Flyer and are equipped with fuel cell technology supplied by Ballard. The hydrogen to power the first two vehicles is provided by Air Products.
“We are extremely grateful to our federal delegation for securing funding for these two hydrogen fuel cell electric buses. We have long committed to investment in innovative transit technology to reduce our emissions footprint here in Southern Nevada. This technology, which is new to Southern Nevada, helps address our sustainability goal, including moving toward a zero-emissions fleet.”
