17 new fuel cell buses for city of Pasadena
The new vehicles will join the Pasadena Transit fleet as part of the city’s “first zero-emission multivehicle public transit order”, which presumably covers both battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Until now, Pasadena Transit has only deployed singular electric vehicles: its first battery-electric bus entered service in May 2025, and it’s also set to launch the first zero emission ‘Dial-A-Ride’ bus later this year. Therefore, the new order will make a significant dent in the decarbonisation of its vehicles, as 46 per cent of its fleet will use either battery or hydrogen fuel cell power.
There’s no technical details yet on which buses will be purchased. However, it’s part of a wider $150.7m project to purchase vehicles, construct new operations, maintenance, and hydrogen fuel facilities, and is being backed by around $100 million in grant funding from the Pasadena Department of Transportation.
The director of Pasadena DOT said it’s the product of more than two years of work. Joaquin Siques said: “To have almost 50 per cent of our fleet transitioned to zero emission by 2028 is a huge accomplishment, especially for an agency of our size.”
Pasadena itself is a city within Los Angeles county, but maintains its own separate public authorities. The city’s Zero-Emission Bus (ZEB) Transition Plan outlines its strategy to have a full zero-emission fleet for its dial-a-ride service by 2030 and for all of its services by 2037. It states that fuel cell electric buses will be used for fixed bus routes under Pasadena Transit, while battery-electric models will be deployed under the city’s dial-a-ride service. Its new Transit Operations & Maintenance Facility is estimated to be operational by 2028, with the Hydrogen Fueling Station set to open earlier in 2027.
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