Van Hool, UTC Power Unveil Belgium's First Fuel Cell Bus

SOUTH WINDSOR, Conn., May 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Leading worldwide bus manufacturer Van Hool today unveiled at its Lier, Belgium, plant Belgium's first zero-emission, 43-foot hybrid electric transit bus equipped with a UTC Power fuel cell system. UTC Power is a United Technologies Corp. company.

The bus will be delivered to De Lijn, the largest bus fleet operator in Belgium, and will begin service in early June. It will operate in Belgium for six months before being leased to other transit agencies in Europe.

On April 10, a Van Hool hybrid electric transit bus with a UTC Power PureMotion(TM) Model 120 fuel cell system rolled out in Hartford, Connecticut, and other similar buses are operating in Oakland and in Palm Springs, California.

Van Hool Managing Director Leopold Van Hool said that by building a demonstration bus for the European market, Van Hool and UTC Power hope to advance the use of fuel cell hybrid-electric technology. The design of this new three-axle, low-floor bus is unique, allowing an increased capacity of up to 104 passengers within Europe's stringent weight requirements. This will result in considerable improvement in per passenger operating costs, Van Hool said. The new bus design also features a Van Hool roof-top cooling system and improved locations for drive components and fuel storage.

UTC Power President Jan van Dokkum added, "There is growing momentum worldwide for cleaner transit solutions, and we believe this 'try-before-you- buy' arrangement will only help accelerate that momentum."

The many benefits of these buses include zero harmful tailpipe emissions, smooth and quiet operation and fuel efficiency that is nearly two times better than a standard diesel-powered bus. The clean operation means these buses have an immediate, positive impact on street-level emissions.

UTC Power has provided fuel cell power plants for fleet transportation since 1998 and its fuel cells have powered buses in the United States, Spain and Italy. UTC Power also is participating in three new zero-emission transit bus projects in California and Washington, D.C., as part of a Federal Transit Administration $49 million cost-shared program.

United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Conn., provides high- technology products and services to the building and aerospace industries. Its UTC Power unit, based in South Windsor, Conn., is a full-service provider of environmentally advanced power solutions. With nearly 50 years of experience, UTC Power is a world leader in developing and producing fuel cells for on-site power, transportation, space and defense applications, and a developer of innovative combined cooling, heating and power systems for the distributed energy market.

Contact: Richard Morgan (860) 727 2410 Richard.Morgan@utcpower.com