Summary
Busses running on hydrogen produced by fuel cells have been roundly praised for their reliability and their low emissions. The busses have been running for one year and they have had not major problems in that time. Though these busses are expensive, governmental support has alleviated the cost and allowed the busses to cut down on pollutants that can cause respiratory problems.
Original source:
http://www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?id=9424&channel=0
Details
The first half of a two-year pilot scheme running three zero emission buses around the capital has been declared a success by Transport for London.
Powered by hydrogen fuel cells, the buses ran last year on route RV1, between Covent Garden and Tower Gateway, in a bid to find a cleaner fuel for future buses and reduce air pollution in London.
Between January and December 2004, the buses travelled over 23,000 miles, were fully operational for almost 3,400 hours, and were reported to excel in their reliability.
The London Fuel Cell bus project is part of a wider European scheme, for which hydrogen-powered buses are being run over two years in ten capital cities.
Director of operations for London Buses, Mike Weston, said he considered the first year of the trial to be a great success.
"The buses have excelled in reliability and have been very popular with passengers who have appreciated the amazing environmental benefits of fuel cell technology and the quiet, smooth ride," he stated.
Richard Tarboton, head of business unit transport energy, part of the Energy Saving Trust, said the pilot scheme was an important step towards implementing the government's plan to have 600 low carbon buses on the road by 2012.
In addition to London's trial project, the pilot is also currently being run in Amsterdam, Barcelona, Hamburg, Luxembourg, Madrid, Porto, Stockholm, Stuttgart, Reykjavik and Perth in Western Australia.
"The high cost of the hydrogen-powered buses is the main barrier at the moment," Mr Weston concluded, "but providing the government continues to provide support for this promising technology, it could be a viable option for the future.
About the author: Mike Adams is an award-winning journalist and holistic nutritionist with a strong interest in personal health, the environment and the power of nature to help us all heal He is a prolific writer and has published thousands of articles, interviews, reports and consumer guides, and he is well known as the creator of popular downloadable preparedness programs on financial collapse, emergency food storage, wilderness survival and home defense skills. Adams is an honest, independent journalist and accepts no money or commissions on the third-party products he writes about or the companies he promotes. In 2010, Adams created TV.NaturalNews.com, a natural living video sharing site featuring thousands of user videos on foods, fitness, green living and more. He's also the CEO of a highly successful email newsletter software company that develops software used to send permission email campaigns to subscribers. Adams is currently the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit, and practices nature photography, Capoeira, martial arts and organic gardening. He's also author of numerous health books published by Truth Publishing and is the creator of several consumer-oriented grassroots campaigns, including the Spam. Don't Buy It! campaign, and the free downloadable Honest Food Guide. He also created the free reference sites HerbReference.com and HealingFoodReference.com. Adams believes in free speech, free access to nutritional supplements and the ending of corporate control over medicines, genes and seeds. Known as the 'Health Ranger,' Adams' personal health statistics and mission statements are located at www.HealthRanger.org
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Monday, January 31, 2005
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