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SOUTH WINDSOR, Conn., AUSTIN, Texas, May 06 2008 – The largest ever procurement in the United States of fuel cell power systems for public transport buses was announced today at the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) annual bus conference in Austin, Texas. AC Transit of Oakland, CA has agreed to purchase a minimum of eight 120 kW PureMotion® Model 120 fuel cell systems from UTC Power of South Windsor, CT, with options for an additional 13 units, to power AC Transit’s next-generation hybrid-electric, fuel cell buses, scheduled for delivery in 2009 and 2010.
The new fuel cells come with a warranty period that can be enhanced to up to 10,000 hours of operation based on the fuel cells achieving certain defined performance milestones. AC Transit’s first-generation fuel cell buses feature an earlier model UTC Power fuel cell system with a warranty of 4,000 hours, in which fuel economy in diesel gallon equivalency has consistently been between 70% and 100% better than a control fleet of AC Transit diesel buses.
“Our experience with UTC Power and their fuel cell design has been extraordinarily good,” commented Rick Fernandez, AC Transit’s General Manager. “Not only have we realized significantly better fuel economy, but their unique design operates at near-ambient pressure resulting in a very quiet vehicle. UTC Power has been a strong partner of ours, sparing no resources to provide us with excellent service and support, leading, in part, to our elected Board of Directors unanimously approving their contract.”
In addition to fuel efficiency, the benefits of fuel cell buses include zero harmful tailpipe emissions and smooth, quiet operation. The clean operation means these buses have an immediate, positive impact on street-level emissions.
"UTC Power is extremely pleased to play a pivotal role in expanding the use of hybrid fuel cell buses for commercial service using our latest system," said Jan van Dokkum, UTC Power president. "We are on a path to fuel cell commercialization with power plants that have zero emissions, offer high efficiency and quiet operation, and we appreciate the positive ongoing relationship with our partners."
About AC Transit
AC Transit is one of the largest transit agencies in California, serving over 67 million passengers a year throughout a 360-square mile region. For 48 years, AC Transit has been recognized as a national leader in the transit industry. AC Transit has captured the American Public Transit Association’s “Best of the Best” award six out of the past nine years. The Environmental and Energy Study Institute of Washington, D.C., named AC Transit a “National Clean Bus Leader” for its advanced environmental technology initiatives. In 2006, AC Transit was recognized by the San Francisco Bay Area’s Metropolitan Transportation Commission with an award of excellence, for its pioneering work in the development of zero-emission technology and its leadership role in advancing the cause of environmentally sound programs for the public transport industry. More information about AC Transit is available at www.actransit.org/environment
About UTC Power
UTC Power, a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX) company, is a full-service provider of environmentally responsible power solutions. With 50 years of experience, UTC Power is the world leader in developing and producing fuel cells for on-site power, transportation, space and defense applications, as well as a leader in innovative, renewable energy solutions and combined cooling, heating and power solutions for the distributed energy market.
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