SunLine Transit Agency

Fuel Cell Electric Bus Progress Report

Data Period Focus: Jan. 2020 through Dec. 2021

Elizabeth Collins and Matthew Post

July 2022

NREL/TP-5700-83559
 Table of Contents
Introduction…………………………………………………………. 4
Fleet Profile………………………………………………………….. 5
Results Summary………………………………………............. 8
Evaluation Buses Specification……………….……………… 14
Infrastructure Description…………………………………….. 16
Data Summary………………………………………………………. 17
Fleet Mileage Accumulation……………….………… 20
Availability Analysis………………………………………. 23
Fuel Economy and Cost Analysis………………...... 30
Reliability—Miles Between Roadcall…………….. 38
Maintenance Cost Analysis…………………………… 40
Contacts…………………………………………………………………… 96
Acronyms and Abbreviations....................................... 97
Appendix: Fleet Summary Statistics ……………….……. 100

NREL | 2
 Introduction
This report presents early results from a deployment of fuel cell electric buses (FCEBs) operated by
SunLine Transit Agency in the Coachella Valley area of California. The five FCEBs, produced by New
Flyer, feature an electric drive propulsion system powered by a Ballard fuel cell system. The project
team is collaborating with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and DOE’s National Renewable
Energy Laboratory (NREL) to evaluate the buses in revenue service.
The goal of this evaluation is to compare the FCEB performance to that of conventional technology
and to track progress over time toward meeting the technical targets set by DOE and the
Department of Transportation (DOT). The FCEBs were delivered beginning in mid-2019. The data
period covers January 2020 through December 2021. NREL collects data on five 2019 model year
compressed natural gas (CNG) buses as a baseline comparison at SunLine. These new CNG buses
were phased into service beginning in April 2020.

Each NREL evaluation tracks data and performance results for a specific transit agency operating a specific manufacturer’s
technology design. Results from different OEM designs will vary and are not necessarily representative of a specific
technology. Results also will vary from agency to agency and even between facilities within the same agency. Readers
should keep this in mind when using these results for decision making.
NREL | 3
 Results Summary
Bus fleets: This evaluation includes five 40-ft FCEBs built by New Flyer with an electric propulsion
system and a Ballard fuel cell system. The baseline buses are five 2019 model year New Flyer 40-ft
CNG buses.
Bus use: SunLine’s average speed for its operation is around 14 mph. The agency reduced service
in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fuel economy: The FCEBs had an average fuel economy of 7.05 miles per kilogram of hydrogen,
which equates to 7.97 mpdge. The CNG buses had an average fuel economy of 3.70 mpgge, which
equates to 4.14 mpdge. The FCEB fuel economy was slightly less than 2 times higher than that of
the CNG buses. The monthly fuel economy for the FCEB fleet ranged from a high of 9.75 in
December 2021, to a low of 5.71 in July 2021. This drop in fuel economy correlates with the
average high temperature when increased use of air conditioning lowers efficiency. The average
high temperature in January was 69.5 compared to the average high in July of 109.9 degrees.

mpdge = miles per diesel gallon equivalent

mpgge = miles per gasoline gallon equivalent NREL | 4
 Results Summary (continued)
Fuel use and cost: During the data period, SunLine fueled its FCEB fleet more than 2,200 times
with an average fill amount of 19.85 kg. Daily dispensed hydrogen was 65.57 kg. The average
monthly cost for hydrogen at SunLine varies. During the data period, the monthly hydrogen costs
ranged from $7.88/kg to more than $21.04/kg. The average cost of hydrogen was $13.79/kg. The
CNG fuel cost for the data period was $1.27 per gge. The FCEBs had an average fuel cost of $1.96
per mile. The fuel cost for the CNG buses averaged $0.33 per mile.
Availability: The per-bus availability for the FCEBs ranged from 39% to 90%. The average
availability for the FCEBs was 72%. Most unavailable time for the FCEBs was due to general bus-
related problems followed by planned maintenance and inspections. This is not unusual for a new
design in a recent deployment. SunLine is working with the OEM to identify the issues. The
availability for the fleet is expected to increase over time as these early issues are resolved. The
average availability for the fuel cell system was 91%. The average availability for the new CNG
buses was 73%. Most downtime for the CNG buses was for general bus-related maintenance.

NREL | 5
 Results Summary (continued)
Maintenance cost: The cost to maintain the buses in the data period was $0.35/mi for the FCEBs and
$0.29/mi for the CNG buses. Propulsion-system maintenance was $0.12 for the FCEBs compared to
$0.06 for the CNG buses.
Note that both fleets of buses are under warranty and most repairs are covered by the OEM.

NREL | 6
 Fleet Profile
SunLine Transit Agency provides public
transit services to Southern California’s
Coachella Valley. Headquartered in
Thousand Palms, California, SunLine’s
service area covers more than 1,100
square miles, including nine member
cities and a portion of Riverside County.
SunLine operates 9 local bus routes, which
were consolidated from 15 during this
data period in January 2021. SunLine also
operates one commuter route between
Indio and San Bernardino as well as a
paratransit service.
The current bus fleet consists of 85 fixed
route buses: 65 CNG buses, 16 FCEBs, and
4 battery electric buses. NREL | 7
 Evaluation Buses
Vehicle System FCEB CNG
Number of buses 5 5
Bus manufacturer/model New Flyer, Xcelsior New Flyer, Xcelsior
Model year 2018 2019
Bus purchase cost $1.2 million $681,000
Length/width/height 40 ft/102 in./129.6 in. 40 ft/102 in./130.8 in.
Curb weight (lb.) 30,900 30,500
GVWR (lb.) 44,000 44,000
Hybrid system Siemens N/A
Ballard FCvelocity-HD85, Cummins L9N
Fuel cell or engine
85 kW 280 hp @ 2,200 rpm
A123 Systems, lithium-
Energy storage N/A
ion, 100 kWh
Accessories Electric Mechanical
Gaseous hydrogen, 5 Type CNG, 6 carbon fiber
4 composite cylinders, cylinders,
Fuel capacity
Agility Fuel Solutions, Agility Fuel Solutions,
37.5 kg at 5,000 psi 19,770 scf @ 3,600 psi NREL | 8
 Evaluation Buses
The five FCEBs were delivered in mid-2019, however,
operation was limited due to insufficient hydrogen as
SunLine was constructing and transitioning to its new
station. The data period start for the FCEBs is January 2020.
One of the buses (FC14) was removed from service in 2019
to repair body damage from an accident. The repair was
completed in April 2020. This bus is included in the data
beginning in May 2020.
The five baseline buses are SunLine’s newest CNG fleet and
were delivered and placed in service in early 2020. The start
of the data period is April 2020 when the first of these
buses went into service. NREL phased the remaining buses
into the data as they were placed into service.
NREL | 9
 Infrastructure Description
In late 2019, SunLine completed construction of a new hydrogen station capable of
fueling approximately 32 FCEBs. The station produces hydrogen on-site through
electrolysis and is capable of 900 kg of hydrogen per day. The new station includes
hydrogen dispensers in line with the CNG fueling island, which allows the FCEBs to be
handled the same as the CNG bus fleet. The new station, which was commissioned in
December 2019, replaced SunLine’s older natural gas reformer that was not capable of
producing enough hydrogen for the agency’s growing FCEB fleet.

NREL | 10
 Data Summary
Data Item FCEB CNG
Number of buses 5 5
Data period 1/20–12/21 4/20–12/21
Number of months 24 21
Total mileage in data period 404,413 499,081
Average odometer 86,427 102,535
Average monthly mileage per bus 3,118 5,145
Total FCPPa hours 31,016 —
Availability (85% is target) 72.5 72.8
Fuel economy (FCEB mi/kg or CNG mpggeb) 7.05 3.70
Fuel economy (mpdgec) 7.97 4.14
Miles between roadcalls (MBRC) – busd 4,064 9,598
MBRC – propulsion system onlyd 6,346 31,193
MBRC – FC System onlyd 24,113 —
Total maintenance ($/mile) 0.36 0.29
Maintenance – propulsion system only ($/mile) 0.12 0.06
a FCPP=fuel cell power plant
b Miles per gasoline gallon equivalent.
c Miles per diesel gallon equivalent.
d MBRC for the FCEB data cumulative from the clean point of January 2020 through July 2020.
NREL | 11
FCEB Total Miles and Hours

Clean Point
Clean Point

NREL | 12
 Fleet Average Monthly Miles by Bus

Average Average
Bus Bus
Bus Miles Monthly Bus Miles Monthly
Months Months
Mileage Mileage
FC14* 61,728 20 3,086 628 102,149 21 4,864
FC15 71,719 24 2,988 629^ 75,186 17 4,423
FC16 70,925 24 2,955 630 112,231 20 5,612
FC17 79,689 24 3,320 631 113,449 20 5,672
FC18 77,639 24 3,235 632 96,066 19 5,056
FCEB Fleet 361,700 116 3,118 CNG Fleet 499,081 97 5,145

*FC14 was temporarily out of service through April 2020 for accident repair
^ bus 629 was phased in in August 2020
NREL | 13
 Average Monthly Miles

Clean Point Average: FCEB: 3,118 miles; CNG: 5,145 miles

NREL | 14
 Availability Analysis
Availability, which is a measure of reliability, is presented as the percentage of days the buses are
actually available out of days that the buses are planned for passenger service. Buses available for
service may have been used in passenger service, training, or for special events, or they may have
been available but just not used. Buses unavailable for service may have had issues with the
propulsion system (fuel cell system, electric drive system), general bus maintenance, or
undergoing scheduled maintenance. Accidents are removed from the data—the bus is considered
“not planned” during the repair time.
The data presented are based on availability for morning pull-out and don’t necessarily reflect all-
day availability. Transit agencies typically have a target of 85% availability for their fleets to allow
time to handle scheduled and unscheduled maintenance. For SunLine, NREL calculates availability
based on the planned service days. In February 2020, SunLine began planning the buses for
service 7 days/week. Prior to that, planned service was weekdays. SunLine provides daily bus
availability for the FCEBs and a reason for unavailability.
NREL presents availability as a monthly average trend and as overall availability. Unavailable time
is separated into several categories to show the primary reason for downtime.
NREL | 15
 Availability Summary

Category FCEB # Days FCEB % CNG # Days CNG %

Planned work days 3,492 2,941
Days available 2,533 72.5 2,140 72.8
Days unavailable 959 27.5 801 27.2
Fuel cell system 91 3 N/A —
Engine N/A — 59 2
Transmission N/A — 18 1
Electric drive 40 1 N/A —
Batteries 50 1 N/A —
Preventive maintenance 228 7 397 13
General bus maintenance 550 16 327 11

NREL | 16
 Monthly Availability by bus

Planned Available % Planned Available %

Bus Bus
Days Days Availability Days Days Availability

FC14 610 444 72.8 628 626 449 71.7

FC15 725 492 67.9 629 518 325 62.7
FC16 729 495 67.9 630 610 481 78.9
FC17 725 565 77.9 631 608 476 78.3
FC18 728 537 73.8 632 579 409 70.6
FCEB Fleet 3,517 2,533 72.0 CNG Fleet 2,941 2,140 72.8

NREL | 17
Monthly Availability

NREL | 18
FCEB Monthly Unavailability Reasons

NREL | 19
 Overall Availability

FCEB CNG

NREL | 20
 Fuel Economy and Cost Analysis
SunLine provides individual fueling records for the FCEBs and CNG buses. CNG is
typically dispensed in units of gge. NREL uses these records to calculate the CNG fuel
economy in mpgge as well as mpdge. Hydrogen is tracked in kilograms; 1 kg of
hydrogen has essentially the same energy content as a gallon of gasoline. To compare
the fuel economy of the FCEBs to that of the baseline buses, NREL converts kg
hydrogen to dge.
Conversions:
gge CNG * 0.895 = dge
kg H2 * 0.885 = dge

SunLine provides monthly cost of hydrogen per kg and CNG per gge.
During the data period for the report, the agency has seen costs from $7.88/kg to
$21.04/kg. The average cost of hydrogen during the evaluation period was $13.79/kg.
The CNG fuel cost for the data period was $1.27 per gge.
NREL | 21
 Fuel Economy by Bus
Fuel
Hydrogen Hydrogen
Bus Miles mi/kg economy
(kg) (dge)
(mpdge) • FCEB fuel economy is almost
FC14 54,032 7,740.9 6.98 6,850.4 7.89 2 times that of the CNG
FC15 62,735 9,000.5 6.97 7,965.0 7.88 buses.
FC16 64,261 9,165.1 7.01 8,110.7 7.92
FC17 69,898 9,820.1 7.12 8,690.3 8.04
FC18 67,644 9,450.0 7.16 8,362.9 8.09
FCEB Fleet 318,570 45,176.6 7.05 39,979.3 7.97
Fuel
Bus Miles CNG (gge) Miles/gge CNG (dge) Economy
(mpdge)
628 96,194 25,850.7 3.72 23,136.4 4.16
629 69,867 19,401.3 3.60 17,364.1 4.02
630 104,843 28,438.0 3.69 25,452.0 4.12
631 105,905 27,997.4 3.78 25,057.6 4.23
632 89,937 24,391.8 3.69 21,830.7 4.12
CNG Total 466,746 126,079.1 3.70 112,840.8 4.14 NREL | 22
 Monthly Average Fuel Economy

*Average monthly high temperatures at Palm Springs, CA airport. Data acquired from [Link] NREL | 23
 Monthly Average Fuel Cost Per Mile

Average fuel cost for period

H2: $13.79/kg
CNG: $1.27/gge

NREL | 24
Fleet Hydrogen Use

NREL | 25
 Roadcall Analysis
A roadcall or revenue vehicle system failure is defined as a failure of an in-service bus that causes
the bus to be replaced on route or causes a significant delay in schedule. If the problem with the
bus can be repaired during a layover and the schedule is kept, this is not considered a roadcall.
The analysis described here includes only roadcalls that were caused by “chargeable” failures.
Chargeable roadcalls include systems that can physically disable the bus from operating on route,
such as interlocks (doors, air system), engine, or things that are deemed to be safety issues if
operation of the bus continues. They do not include roadcalls for things such as problems with
radios, fareboxes, or destination signs.
The transit industry measures reliability as mean distance between failures, also documented as
MBRC. NREL tracks MBRC by total roadcalls, propulsion-related roadcalls, and fuel cell (FC)
system-related roadcalls. Total roadcalls includes all chargeable roadcalls. “Propulsion-related
roadcall” is a subset of total roadcalls and includes all roadcalls due to propulsion-related systems
including the FC system (or engine for a conventional bus), electric drive, fuel, exhaust, air intake,
cooling, non-lighting electrical, transmission systems, and hydraulics. The FC system-related
roadcalls, a subset of the propulsion-related roadcalls, and MBRC are included for the FCEBs.
NREL | 26
Cumulative MBRC

FCEB CNG
Bus MBRC 4,281 9,598
Propulsion
6,346 31,193
MBRC
FC System
24,113 N/A
MBRC

NREL | 27
 Maintenance Analysis
NREL collects all work orders for the evaluation buses to calculate a maintenance cost per mile. Costs
for accident-related repairs which are extremely variable from bus to bus, were eliminated from the
analysis. Warranty costs are not included in the cost-per-mile calculations because those costs are
covered in the capital cost of the buses. For consistency, NREL uses a constant $50 per hour. This
does not reflect an average rate for SunLine. Cost per mile is calculated as follows:
Cost per mile = [(labor hours * 50) + parts cost)] / mileage
NREL calculates total cost per mile, scheduled maintenance cost per mile, and unscheduled
maintenance cost per mile. NREL also categorizes maintenance cost by system to provide insight into
which systems have the most costs for each technology.
The propulsion system costs are of particular interest. Propulsion-related vehicle systems include the
exhaust, fuel, engine, FC system, battery modules, electric propulsion, air intake, cooling, non-
lighting electrical, transmission systems, and hydraulics. These systems have been separated to
highlight maintenance costs most directly affected by the advanced propulsion system changes for
the buses.
NREL | 28
 Maintenance Analysis Results
Labor Scheduled Unscheduled Total Cost per
Bus Mileage Parts ($)
hours Cost ($/mi) Cost ($/mi) Mile ($)
FC14 61,728 5,846.37 281.0 0.10 0.22 0.32
FC15 71,719 13,094.53 425.8 0.12 0.35 0.48
FC16 70,925 5,334.89 399.8 0.11 0.25 0.36
FC17 79,689 4,981.57 373.8 0.10 0.20 0.30
FC18 77,639 4,053.11 384.3 0.11 0.19 0.30
FCEB Fleet 361,700 33,310.47 1,864.5 0.11 0.24 0.35
Labor Scheduled Unscheduled Total Cost per
Bus Mileage Parts ($)
hours Cost ($/mi) Cost ($/mi) Mile ($)
628 102,149 11,349.24 349.0 0.09 0.20 0.28
629 75,186 5,856.46 359.3 0.08 0.23 0.32
630 112,231 8,833.75 391.8 0.08 0.17 0.25
631 113,449 6,471.81 674.3 0.09 0.27 0.35
632 96,066 5,661.23 317.3 0.09 0.14 0.22
CNG Fleet 499,081 38,172.49 2,091.5 0.09 0.20 0.29
Note: Both the FCEBs and CNG buses are under warranty. NREL | 29
Scheduled and Unscheduled Maintenance Cost

• Scheduled costs make

up 32% of the FCEB
fleet cost and 30% of
the CNG bus fleet cost

NREL | 30
Parts and Labor Maintenance Cost

• Most costs for both

fleets are for labor:
74% for the FCEBs and
73% for the CNG buses

NREL | 31
 Maintenance Cost by System
The vehicle systems include the following:
• Propulsion-related systems—Repairs for exhaust, fuel, engine, electric motors, fuel cell
modules, battery modules, propulsion control, non-lighting electrical (charging, cranking, and
ignition), air intake, cooling, hydraulics, and transmission
• Cab, body, and accessories—Includes body, glass, and paint repairs following accidents; cab
and sheet metal repairs on seats and doors; and accessory repairs such as hubodometers and
radios
• PMI (preventive maintenance inspections)—Labor for preventive maintenance
• Brakes
• Frame, steering, and suspension
• Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC)
• Lighting
• Axles, wheels, and drive shaft
• Air system, general
• Tires
NREL | 32
 Maintenance Cost per Mile by System
FCEB CNG
Color coding:
System Cost per Percent of Cost per Percent of Highest cost
Mile ($) Total (%) Mile ($) Total (%)
Propulsion-related 0.122 33.5 0.059 20.7 Second highest cost
Cab, body, and accessories 0.086 23.7 0.087 30.4
PMI 0.094 25.8 0.100 35.1 Third highest cost
Brakes 0.011 3.0 0.010 3.4
Frame, steering, and suspension 0.010 2.9 0.004 1.6
HVAC 0.017 4.7 0.005 1.7
Lighting 0.006 1.7 0.008 2.9
General air system repairs 0.009 2.5 0.007 2.4
Axles, wheels, and drive shaft 0.001 0.2 0.000 0.0
Tires 0.008 2.1 0.005 1.7
Total 0.363 100 0.286 100
• For the FCEB fleet, the systems with the highest cost were PMI; propulsion-related; and cab, body, and
accessories. For the CNG fleet, the systems with the highest cost were cab, body, and accessories; PMI: and
propulsion-related.
• Overall costs for the FCEBs were 33% higher than that of the CNG buses.
NREL | 33
Maintenance Cost by System: FCEBs

NREL | 34
Maintenance Cost by System: CNG Buses

NREL | 35
 Propulsion-Related Maintenance Costs by Subsystem
Maintenance System FCEB CNG Maintenance System FCEB CNG
Mileage 361,700 499,081 Non-Lighting Electrical Parts cost ($) 2,561.49 4,428.78
Total Propulsion- Parts cost ($) 14,384.22 14,368.43 System Repairs (General Labor hours 71.3 39.0
Related Systems Labor hours 593.0 303.0 Electrical, Charging, Total cost ($) 6,123.99 6,378.78
(Roll-Up of All Total cost ($) 44,034.22 29,518.43 Cranking, Ignition) Total cost ($) per mile 0.017 0.013
Systems) Total cost ($) per mile 0.122 0.059 Parts cost ($) 874.09 295.70
Parts cost ($) 0.00 5.75 Labor hours 9.0 0.0
Exhaust System Labor hours 0.0 0.0 Air Intake System Repairs
Total cost ($) 1,324.09 295.70
Repairs Total cost ($) 0.00 5.75 0.004 0.001
Total cost ($) per mile
Total cost ($) per mile 0.000 0.000
Parts cost ($) 698.03 642.88
Parts cost ($) 2,824.30 753.80
Labor hours 52.3 16.0
Labor hours 6.8 0.0 Cooling System Repairs
Fuel System Repairs Total cost ($) 3,310.53 1,442.88
Total cost ($) 3,161.80 753.80
Total cost ($) per mile 0.009 0.003
Total cost ($) per mile 0.009 0.002
Parts cost ($) 6,315.53 8,068.97 Parts cost ($) 298.74 172.55
Powerplant System Transmission System Labor hours 0.5 37.3
Labor hours 257.8 210.0
Repairs (Fuel Cell Repairs Total cost ($) 323.74 2,035.05
Total cost ($) 19,203.03 18,568.97
System for FCEBs) Total cost ($) per mile 0.001 0.004
Total cost ($) per mile 0.053 0.037
Parts cost ($) 799.96 0.00 Parts cost ($) 12.08 0.00
Electric Propulsion Labor hours 195.5 0.8 Labor hours 0.0 0.0
Hydraulic System Repairs
System Repairs Total cost ($) 10,574.96 37.50 Total cost ($) 12.08 0.00
Total cost ($) per mile 0.029 0.000 Total cost ($) per mile 0.000 0.000
NREL | 36
 Contacts

NREL
Matthew Post
Phone: 303-275-3829
Email: [Link]@[Link]

SunLine Transit Agency

Harman Singh
Phone: 760-343-3456
Email: hsingh@[Link]

NREL | 37
 Acronyms and Abbreviations
CNG compressed natural gas kW kilowatt
dge diesel gallon equivalent kWh kilowatt-hour
DOE U.S. Department of Energy lb. pound
FC fuel cell MBRC miles between roadcalls
FCEB fuel cell electric bus mi mile
ft feet mpdge miles per diesel gallon equivalent
FTA Federal Transit Administration mpgge miles per gasoline gallon equivalent
gge gasoline gallon equivalent mph miles per hour
GVWR gross vehicle weight rating NREL National Renewable Energy
hp horsepower Laboratory
HVAC heating, ventilation, and air PM preventive maintenance
conditioning PMI preventive maintenance inspection
in. inch psi pounds per square inch
kg kilogram
NREL | 38
 Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No.
DE-AC36-08GO28308 with Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC, the Manager and
Operator of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Funding was provided by the
U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Fuel Cell
Technologies Office.

The views and opinions of the authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or
reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof. Neither the
United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes
any warranty, expressed or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for
the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or
process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights.

NREL | 39
 Appendix:
Fleet Summary Statistics
 Fleet Summary Statistics
FCEB CNG
Number of vehicles 5 5
Period used for fuel and oil analysis 1/20‒12/20 4/20‒12/20
Total number of months in period 24 21
Fuel and oil analysis base fleet mileage 318,570 466,746
Period used for maintenance analysis 1/20‒12/20 4/20‒12/20
Total number of months in period 24 21
Maintenance analysis base fleet mileage 361,700 499,081
Average monthly mileage per vehicle 5,652 15,596
Availability 72.5 72.8
Fleet fuel usage in kg hydrogen or gge CNG 45,176.6 126,079.1
Roadcalls 93 89
Total MBRC 3,889 5,608
Propulsion roadcalls 59 57
Propulsion MBRC 6,131 8,756
Fleet mi/kg hydrogen (FCEB), mi/gge (CNG) 7.05 3.70
Representative fleet mpg (energy equiv.) 7.97 4.14
Fuel cost per kg hydrogen or gge CNG 13.79 1.27
Fuel cost per mile 1.960 0.330
Total scheduled repair cost per mile 0.110 0.085
Total unscheduled repair cost per mile 0.239 0.201
Total maintenance cost per mile 0.350 0.286
Total operating cost per mile 2.310 0.616 NREL | 41
 Maintenance Cost Summary
Maintenance Cost Summary
FCEB CNG
Fleet mileage 361,700 499,081
Total parts cost $34,914.66 $38,172.49
Total labor hours 1931.3 2087.8
Average labor cost (@ $50.00 per hour) $96,562.50 $104,387.50
Total maintenance cost $131,477.16 $142,559.99
Total maintenance cost per bus $26,295.43 $28,512.00
Total maintenance cost per mile $0.363 $0.286

Propulsion System Maintenance Cost Summary

FCEB CNG
Total Engine/Fuel-Related Systems (ATA VMRS 27, 30, 31, 32, 33, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 65)
Parts cost $14,384.22 $14,368.43
Labor hours 593.0 303.0
Average labor cost $29,650.00 $15,150.00
Total cost (for system) $44,034.22 $29,518.43
Total cost (for system) per bus $8,806.84 $5,903.69
Total cost (for system) per mile $0.122 $0.059
NREL | 42
 Maintenance Cost by Vehicle System
FCEB CNG
Exhaust System Repairs (ATA VMRS 43)
Parts cost 0.00 5.75
Labor hours 0 0
Average labor cost $0.00 $0.00
Total cost (for system) $0.00 $5.75
Total cost (for system) per bus $0.00 $1.15
Total cost (for system) per mile $0.000 $0.000
Fuel System Repairs (ATA VMRS 44)
Parts cost 2,824.30 753.80
Labor hours 6.75 0
Average labor cost $337.50 $0.00
Total cost (for system) $3,161.80 $753.80
Total cost (for system) per bus $632.36 $150.76
Total cost (for system) per mile $0.009 $0.002
Power Plant (Engine) Repairs (ATA VMRS 45)
Parts cost 6,315.53 8,068.97
Labor hours 257.75 210
Average labor cost $12,887.50 $10,500.00
Total cost (for system) $19,203.03 $18,568.97
Total cost (for system) per bus $3,840.61 $3,713.79
Total cost (for system) per mile $0.053 $0.037
NREL | 43
 Maintenance Cost by Vehicle System
FCEB CNG
Electric Propulsion Repairs (ATA VMRS 46)
Parts cost 799.96 0.00
Labor hours 195.5 0.75
Average labor cost $9,775.00 $37.50
Total cost (for system) $10,574.96 $37.50
Total cost (for system) per bus $2,114.99 $7.50
Total cost (for system) per mile $0.029 $0.000
Electrical System Repairs (ATA VMRS 30-Electrical General, 31-Charging, 32-Cranking, 33-Ignition)
Parts cost 2,561.49 4,428.78
Labor hours 71.25 39
Average labor cost $3,562.50 $1,950.00
Total cost (for system) $6,123.99 $6,378.78
Total cost (for system) per bus $1,224.80 $1,275.76
Total cost (for system) per mile $0.017 $0.013
Air Intake System Repairs (ATA VMRS 41)
Parts cost 874.09 295.70
Labor hours 9 0
Average labor cost $450.00 $0.00
Total cost (for system) $1,324.09 $295.70
Total cost (for system) per bus $264.82 $59.14
Total cost (for system) per mile $0.004 $0.001
NREL | 44
 Maintenance Cost by Vehicle System
FCEB CNG
Cooling System Repairs (ATA VMRS 42)
Parts cost 698.03 642.88
Labor hours 52.25 16
Average labor cost $2,612.50 $800.00
Total cost (for system) $3,310.53 $1,442.88
Total cost (for system) per bus $662.11 $288.58
Total cost (for system) per mile $0.009 $0.003
Hydraulic System Repairs (ATA VMRS 65)
Parts cost 12.08 0.00
Labor hours 0 0
Average labor cost $0.00 $0.00
Total cost (for system) $12.08 $0.00
Total cost (for system) per bus $2.42 $0.00
Total cost (for system) per mile $0.000 $0.000
General Air System Repairs (ATA VMRS 10)
Parts cost 2,359.29 2,248.79
Labor hours 18.75 24.5
Average labor cost $937.50 $1,225.00
Total cost (for system) $3,296.79 $3,473.79
Total cost (for system) per bus $659.36 $694.76
Total cost (for system) per mile $0.009 $0.007
NREL | 45
 Maintenance Cost by Vehicle System
FCEB CNG
Brake System Repairs (ATA VMRS 13)
Parts cost 1,696.20 1,951.34
Labor hours 44.25 58
Average labor cost $2,212.50 $2,900.00
Total cost (for system) $3,908.70 $4,851.34
Total cost (for system) per bus $781.74 $970.27
Total cost (for system) per mile $0.011 $0.010
Transmission Repairs (ATA VMRS 27)
Parts cost 298.74 172.55
Labor hours 0.5 37.25
Average labor cost $25.00 $1,862.50
Total cost (for system) $323.74 $2,035.05
Total cost (for system) per bus $64.75 $407.01
Total cost (for system) per mile $0.001 $0.004
Inspections Only - No Parts Replacements (101)
Parts cost 753.50 500.04
Labor hours 662.75 991
Average labor cost $33,137.50 $49,550.00
Total cost (for system) $33,891.00 $50,050.04
Total cost (for system) per bus $6,778.20 $10,010.01
Total cost (for system) per mile $0.094 $0.100
NREL | 46
 Maintenance Cost by Vehicle System
FCEB CNG
Cab, Body, and Accessories Systems Repairs (ATA VMRS 02-Cab and Sheet Metal, 50-Accessories, 71-Body)
Parts cost 12,146.53 14,696.92
Labor hours 380 573.75
Average labor cost $19,000.00 $28,687.50
Total cost (for system) $31,146.53 $43,384.42
Total cost (for system) per bus $6,229.31 $8,676.88
Total cost (for system) per mile $0.086 $0.087
HVAC System Repairs (ATA VMRS 01)
Parts cost 120.54 416.21
Labor hours 121.25 41
Average labor cost $6,062.50 $2,050.00
Total cost (for system) $6,183.04 $2,466.21
Total cost (for system) per bus $1,236.61 $493.24
Total cost (for system) per mile $0.017 $0.005
Lighting System Repairs (ATA VMRS 34)
Parts cost 1,923.94 3,195.32
Labor hours 5.5 20
Average labor cost $275.00 $1,000.00
Total cost (for system) $2,198.94 $4,195.32
Total cost (for system) per bus $439.79 $839.06
Total cost (for system) per mile $0.006 $0.008
NREL | 47
 Maintenance Cost by Vehicle System
FCEB CNG
Frame, Steering, and Suspension Repairs (ATA VMRS 14-Frame, 15-Steering, 16-Suspension)
Parts cost 1,530.44 781.30
Labor hours 44.75 28.75
Average labor cost $2,237.50 $1,437.50
Total cost (for system) $3,767.94 $2,218.80
Total cost (for system) per bus $753.59 $443.76
Total cost (for system) per mile $0.010 $0.004
Axle, Wheel, and Drive Shaft Repairs (ATA VMRS 11-Front Axle, 18-Wheels,
22-Rear Axle, 24-Drive Shaft)
Parts cost 0.00 14.14
Labor hours 5 0.5
Average labor cost $250.00 $25.00
Total cost (for system) $250.00 $39.14
Total cost (for system) per bus $50.00 $7.83
Total cost (for system) per mile $0.001 $0.000
Tire Repairs (ATA VMRS 17)
Parts cost 0.00 0.00
Labor hours 56 47.25
Average labor cost $2,800.00 $2,362.50
Total cost (for system) $2,800.00 $2,362.50
Total cost (for system) per bus $560.00 $472.50
Total cost (for system) per mile $0.008 $0.005 NREL | 48
 Fleet Summary Statistics: SI Units
FCEB CNG
Number of vehicles 5 5
Period used for fuel and oil analysis 1/20‒12/20 4/20‒12/20
Total number of months in period 24 21
Fuel and oil analysis base fleet kilometers 512,675 751,134
Period used for maintenance analysis 1/20‒12/20 4/20‒12/20
Total number of months in period 24 21
Maintenance analysis base fleet kilometers 582,084 803,171
Average monthly kilometers per vehicle 5,058 13,959
Availability 72.5 72.8
Fleet fuel usage in H2 kg/liter equiv 45,176.6 477,261.3
Roadcalls 93 89
Total KMBRC 6,259 9,024
Propulsion roadcalls 59 57
Propulsion KMBRC 9,866 14,091
Fleet kg hydrogen/100 km (1.13 kg H2/gal diesel fuel) 8.81
Rep. fleet fuel consumption (L/100 km) 29.52 63.54
Hydrogen cost per kg/ CNG cost/liter 13.79 0.34
Fuel cost per kilometer 1.215 0.213
Total scheduled repair cost per kilometer 0.069 0.053
Total unscheduled repair cost per kilometer 0.149 0.125
Total maintenance cost per kilometer 0.217 0.178
Total operating cost per kilometer 1.433 0.391

NREL | 49
 Maintenance Cost Summary: SI Units
Maintenance Cost Summary
FCEB CNG
Fleet mileage 461,042 572,813
Total parts cost 25,637.34 29,880.51
Total labor hours 1,498 1,631
Average labor cost (@ $50.00 per hour) 74,900.00 81,537.50
Total maintenance cost 100,537 111,418
Total maintenance cost per bus 20,107.47 22,283.60
Total maintenance cost per kilometer 0.218 0.195

Propulsion System Maintenance Cost Summary

FCEB CNG
Total Engine/Fuel-Related Systems (ATA VMRS 27, 30, 31, 32, 33, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 65)
Parts cost 582,084 803,171
Labor hours $34,914.66 $38,172.49
Average labor cost 1931.3 2087.8
Total cost (for system) $96,562.50 $104,387.50
Total cost (for system) per bus $131,477.16 $142,559.99
Total cost (for system) per kilometer $26,295.43 $28,512.00
NREL | 50
 Part Replacement Occurrences

This analysis indicates the number of work orders that requires a part to be replaced.
The entire system, indicated by the VMRS code, is not replaced. Instead, it is a part
within the system that has been replaced. This does not include work orders where
only labor is needed.

NREL | 51
 Part Replacement Occurrences
FCEB CNG
All data All data
Part Replacement Number of Occurrences
Exhaust System (ATA VMRS 43) 0 1
Fuel System (ATA VMRS 44) 2 7
Power Plant (Engine) (ATA VMRS 45) 48 195
Electric Propulsion (ATA VMRS 46) 15 0 FCEB Total Miles =
Electrical System (ATA VMRS 30, 31, 32, 33) 15 20 361,700
Air Intake System (ATA VMRS 41) 34 1 CNG Total Miles =
Cooling System (ATA VMRS 42) 1 11 499,081
Hydraulic System (ATA VMRS 65) 2 2
General Air System (ATA VMRS 10) 11 8
Brake System (ATA VMRS 13) 10 25
Transmission (ATA VMRS 27) 6 4
Cab, Body, and Accessories (ATA VMRS 02, 50, 71) 164 171
HVAC System (ATA VMRS 01) 6 6
Lighting System (ATA VMRS 34) 9 7
Frame, Steering, and Suspension (VRMS 14, 15, 16) 8 17
Axle, Wheel, and Drive Shaft (ATA VMRS 11, 18, 22, 24) 0 2
Tire (ATA VMRS 17) 0 0 NREL | 52
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