Our next generation, zero-emission, fuel cell-electric bus.

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(XHE Model)

Zero emission with extended range.

Xcelsior CHARGE FC™ is New Flyer’s next generation, zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell-electric bus. It delivers longer range, better energy recovery and is smart city capable, making it the most advanced hydrogen fuel cell-electric bus in North America.

  • 40-52 Seats

    With 2 wheelchair locations

  • 370+ Miles

    On a single refueling with no off-board electric recharging

Floorplans

  • 40′
  • 60′
  • Narrow A-pillars

    Narrow A-pillars increase visibility for the driver.
  • Electronic Instrument Panel

    Industry’s first electronic instrument panel with LCD display can be programmed for customer specific messages or graphics.
  • Recessed Overhead Control Panel

    Recessed overhead control panel provides access to the controls and instrumentation and gives the overall area a clean appearance.
  • LED Headlights

    Industry’s first LED headlights have better visibility, and can accommodate many of today’s bike racks with no interference.
  • SmartRider™ Ramp

    SmartRider™ provides unmatched accessibility and kneeling to variable heights with less than 10″ step height when fully kneeled. The SmartRider™ ramp can achieve a 1:6 slope ratio with a self-leveling feature and is rated up to 1000 lbs.
  • Aisle

    Distance between streetside and curbside wheel wells is 34″, providing a wider and more accessible pathway for people with disabilities.
  • Narrow Window Posts

    Narrow window posts (5″) and larger windows with low window line (42.5″ in height) for greater visibility.

  • Rear Step

    Angled rear step designed for natural ingress/egress of passengers.

  • Side Panels

    Fiberglass side panels are continuous, resulting in fewer exterior seams, better aesthetics, improved manufacturability, better protection against water intrusion, and less body movement which minimizes rattles or leaks as the vehicle ages.
  • Hinged Corner Pillars

    Hinged corner pillars for easy access to components and systems for regular maintenance.
  • Mirrors & Cameras

    Mirrors and camera screens enable the driver to see all the way to the rear of the bus and monitor the rear exit door from inside.
  • Narrow A-pillars

    Narrow A-pillars increase visibility for the driver.
  • Electronic Instrument Panel

    Industry’s first electronic instrument panel with LCD display can be programmed for customer specific messages or graphics.
  • Recessed Overhead Control Panel

    Recessed overhead control panel provides access to the controls and instrumentation and gives the overall area a clean appearance.
  • LED Headlights

    Industry’s first LED headlights have better visibility, and can accommodate many of today’s bike racks with no interference.
  • SmartRider™ Ramp

    SmartRider™ provides unmatched accessibility and kneeling to variable heights with less than 10″ step height when fully kneeled. The SmartRider™ ramp can achieve a 1:6 slope ratio with a self-leveling feature and is rated up to 1000 lbs.
  • Aisle

    Distance between streetside and curbside wheel wells is 34″, providing a wider and more accessible pathway for people with disabilities.
  • Narrow Window Posts

    Narrow window posts (5″) and larger windows with low window line (42.5″ in height) for greater visibility.

  • Rear Step

    Angled rear step designed for natural ingress/egress of passengers.

  • Side Panels

    Fiberglass side panels are continuous, resulting in fewer exterior seams, better aesthetics, improved manufacturability, better protection against water intrusion, and less body movement which minimizes rattles or leaks as the vehicle ages.
  • Hinged Corner Pillars

    Hinged corner pillars for easy access to components and systems for regular maintenance.
  • Mirrors & Cameras

    Mirrors and camera screens enable the driver to see all the way to the rear of the bus and monitor the rear exit door from inside.

Decades of innovation.

Built on the proven Xcelsior® platform with over 16,000 buses delivered to date, New Flyer’s battery-electric and fuel cell-electric models have surpassed over 15 million electric vehicle service miles.

Drawing upon more than 20 years of experience producing fuel cell-electric buses for North American operators, New Flyer has applied the best of zero-emission design and innovative fuel cell technologies to develop its most advanced hydrogen fuel cell-electric bus yet.

Built on the proven Xcelsior® platform.

  • Extended Range

    Travel 370+ miles on a single refueling with no off-board electric recharging.

  • Fast fill time ranging from 6-20 minutes (depending on bus model and operating conditions)

  • Avoid 85-135 tons of greenhouse gas per year from tailpipe emissions compared to a diesel bus

New high-performing technologies.

Xcelsior CHARGE FC™ incorporates four distinct and new high-performing technologies:

  • Ballard Power Systems new high-performing fuel cell power module, called FCmove™-HD+
  • New battery packaging designed and developed by New Flyer
  • The newest, high-power, rapid-charge batteries
  • Accelera™ by Cummins ELFA 3, a new innovative traction drive system

Fuel cell power module.

  • How it works
  • Benefits
  • FCmove™-HD+ is Ballard Power Systems’ next generation heavy-duty fuel cell power module for zero-emission vehicle applications that introduces a more compact and robust design with substantial lifecycle cost reductions.
  • The fuel cell power module generates electricity from the hydrogen to power the vehicle.
  • Reduced lifecycle cost is achieved through lower maintenance requirements, higher reliability, and fewer parts.
  • The integrated design houses all subcomponents in a single enclosure; it is smaller, lighter, and uses 50% fewer parts making it easier to service and maintain.
  • Increased reliability through more robust components; delivers >97% fuel cell power availability while in service.
  • More efficient with a wider operating range across a variety of climates

More efficient and streamlined battery enclosure.

  • How it works
  • Benefits
  • A standardized waterproof battery enclosure is mounted on the rooftop using a “plug and play” approach, lending simplicity and efficiency in design, install, maintenance and manufacturing.
  • Rooftop application is modular with a simplified mounting system comprised of two rails running the length of the bus.
  • One simple and standardized approach provides better quality, consistency, and accuracy.
  • Casings are made from non-conductive reinforced composite; service technicians can simply and safely plug in or unplug the battery module with less exposure to high-voltage electricity.
  • It is 100% waterproof if submerged in water, greatly reducing the likelihood of water leaking into the battery enclosure.
  • Modules are better insulated resulting in better management of battery temperature for optimal performance.
  • Service parts are reduced by 90% going from 250 to less than 50 parts.

High-grade Accelera™ by Cummins traction system.

  • How it works
  • Benefits
  • Accelera™ by Cummins ELFA 3 is next generation traction system that introduces a more efficient design with compact inverters and embedded drive controllers.
  • Minimal rack requiring no covers.
  • It’s smaller and lighter allowing for increased passenger capacity.
  • It’s safer to maintain with  touch-safe high voltage connections.
  • Shorter cable runs makes it easier to maintain, and offers decreased risk of issues or faults, improved electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and greater power efficiency.
  • Delivers up to 90% energy recuperation.
  • Delivers smooth, quiet, emission-free driving (with no engine noise, no idling, and zero local emissions).
  • Better torque accuracy.

The newest high-power batteries.

  • How it works
  • Benefits
  • The batteries are made of world-class energy storage systems (ESS), engineered for safe, robust, and reliable use in transit.
  • The battery chemistry is Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC), providing the best balance of energy, power, safety, and life.
  • 40% more energy available.
  • Range at highway speeds is extended by 44% without compromising quality.
  • Greater capture of regenerative energy during braking at top state of charge.
  • Better controlled and more consistent cell temperature in high-demand applications.

How it works.

A fuel cell is a device that converts chemical energy into electric energy. A series of chemical reactions splits hydrogen into protons and a current of electrons and then combines them with oxygen, which produces water and heat. The flow of electrons is the electric current. The electric current is used to power the batteries and ultimately power the bus.

Fuel cells produce electricity without combustion, which means that, unlike internal combustion engines, they generate little (if any) noise, vibration, air pollution, or greenhouse gasses and operate at high efficiency over a wide range of loads.

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Technology Explorer.

Dive into the Xcelsior CHARGE FC™ bus system with an interactive tour. Explore features of a fuel cell-electric bus and discover how this innovative mobility solution works.

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  • 40′
  • 60′

High-performance bus.

  • Extended Range
  • Fueling
  • Xcelsior CHARGE FC™ can travel 370+ miles on a single refueling and requires no off-board electric recharging. And with battery-dominant hybrid control, there is no reduction* in performance or range from beginning to end of life.
  • Fuel cell-rejected heat is captured through a heat exchanger to supplement the HVAC system, there is little to no reduction in range at cold ambient temperatures.

*When running on a typical transit duty cycle with speeds below 50 mph.

  • The Xcelsior CHARGE FC™ can be refueled in 6-20 minutes depending on the model and operating conditions and requires no overnight plug-in electrical re-charging.
  • It is equipped with either or both TN1 or TN5 fill receptacles or a multi-fill port configuration. Receptacles can also be equipped with IR transmitters or hardwired communication ports to support fast filling at smart fill stations.
  • The fuel cell tanks are lightweight Type 4 HGV2 tanks with
    95% usable capacity.

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ECO friendly.

Hydrogen is clean, abundant, and can be reformed into hydrogen from natural gas (methane) or created from renewable sources such as wind or solar energy through electrolysis.

The Xcelsior CHARGE FC™ will avoid 85-135 tons of greenhouse gases per year from tailpipe emissions compared to a traditional diesel bus.

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Quiet in operation.

With the absence of a traditional internal combustion engine and its related mechanical and exhaust noises, passengers will love the significantly quieter ride provided by the nearly silent electric traction motor:

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Qualifies for federal funding.

Both the 40-foot and 60-foot models meet the Federal Transit Administration Model Bus Testing Program at Altoona, Pennsylvania. New Flyer remains the only North American manufacturer to offer both 40-foot and 60-foot fuel cell-electric models that qualify for federal funding.

Dual-sided Boarding Option.

New Flyer offers an optional three-door configuration that includes a street-side door for bus rapid transit (BRT) application. Available on all Xcelsior® 40-foot and 60-foot buses, the three-door bus design ensures faster, more flexible BRT platform boarding and enhanced passenger experience.

Benefits of dual-sided doors:

  • A center median can become a platform with a single station for both directions
  • Curb lanes are freed up, making for an uninterrupted flow of vehicle traffic along the right-side curbs
  • Left-side doors bring new options for one-way streets or dedicated right-of-ways
  • New designs for BRT stations are now possible with faster boarding and de-boarding

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Quick measurements.
Length
Height
Tire Size
Wheelbase
Seats*
Standees*
Wheelchair Locations
Approach Angle
Departure Angle
Breakover Angle
Fuel Cell
Equivalent Battery Energy
Hydrogen Storage Capacity
Net Power
40′
60′
41′ 0′′ (12.50m) over bumpers
60′ 10′′ (18.54m) over bumpers
11′ 1′′ (3.3m)
11′ 1′′ (3.3m)
305/70R22.5
305/70R22.5
283.75′′ (7.2m)
229′′ (5.8m) front / 293′′ (7.4m) rear
42
73
2
2
9º
9°
9º
9º
9º
12º (front) 9º (back)
Ballard Power Systems FCmove™-HD+
Ballard Power Systems FCmove™-HD+
734 kWh base configuration
Up to 1030 kWh
37.5 kg (base)
56 kg
100 kW
100 kW
Angles

*Passenger capacity shown reflects standard configuration. Capacity may change dependent on custom design and components used.

Fueling.

Equipped with either or both TN1 or TN5 fill receptacles or a multi-fill port configuration. Receptacles can also be equipped with IR transmitters or hardwired communication ports to support fast filling at smart fill stations.

Lightweight Type 4 HGV2 tanks with 95% usable capacity.

Length Time to Refill
40′ 6-10min
60′ 12-20min