The European Commission (EC) has awarded Euro 18.5 million to nine European cities that want to introduce hydrogen to fuel public transport systems. Funding from the European Union (EU) will allow the fuel cell bus project to be the first volume-production test on this scale in the world.
The funding is part of the Clean Urban Transport for Europe demonstration project funded under the Fifth Framework Program for Research and Development. The EC is committed to promoting hydrogen as a power source as part of its plan to foster the use of alternative fuels in transport. Introduction of hydrogen fuel cell buses will improve air quality and reduce CO2 emissions in public transport systems.
From 2003, fuel cell buses will operate in Amsterdam, Barcelona, Hamburg, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Porto, Stockholm and Stuttgart. The buses will be produced by EvoBus GmbH (Germany).
