Fuel cell PostBus Mountain test passed successfully

PostBus is the first Swiss public transport company to operate buses powered by fuel cells. Since December 2011 five emission-free PostBuses have been running on scheduled public transport services in and around Brugg as part of a long-term test lasting five years. The buses are refuelled with hydrogen and emit only water vapour.

Use at the World Economic Forum
Oxygen from ambient air is needed to obtain driving power from hydrogen via the fuel cells. Until now PostBus had no direct experience of how the fuel cell drive system would be influenced by the lower oxygen density at high altitudes. PostBus has now tested a fuel cell PostBus in Davos and can confirm that the drive system works perfectly in higher regions as well. This confirms that it will be possible to use the vehicles throughout Switzerland, even in mountainous regions. The test was also carried out with a view to using fuel cell PostBuses during the World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2013.

The challenge of steep roads
The fuel cell PostBus is a hybrid vehicle which runs on combined driving power. The electric motor is powered by both a fuel cell and a battery which is recharged from braking energy. Steep roads are still particularly challenging for hybrid buses due to the extra weight of having two energy sources. In the medium term, PostBus is carrying out test journeys to determine the technical requirements of mountain and valley travel in order to put the fuel cell PostBuses to optimal use throughout Switzerland, even in mountainous areas.

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