Editing Fuel Cell Bus Club (section)

{{See also|Fuel cell bus}}

The '''Fuel Cell Bus Club''' comprised the participants of three demonstration projects (CUTE, ECTOS and STEP) for [[fuel cell bus]]es in nine European cities and two other worldwide cities between 2001 and 2007.<ref name="Vidueira, J.M. PV">Vidueira, J.M.; Contreras, A.; Veziroglu, T.N. "PV autonomous installation to produce hydrogen via electrolysis, and its use in FC buses", ''International Journal of Hydrogen Energy''. Sep2003, Vol. 28 Issue 9, p927. 11p. DOI: 10.1016/S0360-3199(02)00191-X</ref><ref name=":0" /> The Fuel Cell Bus Club became a forum to share experiences and information between cities and researchers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Adamson |first=Kerry-Ann |date=November 2004 |title=Fuel Cell Market Survey: Buses |url=http://www.accepth2.com/guidelines/docs/Paper_Fuel-Cell-Today_041201_Fuel-Cell-Bus-Market-Survey.pdf |access-date=26 October 2022 |website=Fuel Cell Today}}</ref> Other cities such as [[Beijing]] also tested buses from the consortium behind the project.<ref name="gov.cn">{{Cite web |date=21 June 2006 |title=First clean fuel buses running on Beijing roads |url=http://www.gov.cn/english/2006-06/21/content_316521.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110504140010/http://www.gov.cn/english/2006-06/21/content_316521.htm |archive-date=2011-05-04 |access-date=2022-10-26 |website=Gov.cn}}</ref>

All three projects used [[Mercedes-Benz Citaro]] buses, with [[hydrogen]] fuel cells from [[Ballard Power Systems]]. When completed in 2007, all three projects were deemed a success by researchers.<ref>Maack, Maria H.; Skulason, Jon Bjorn. "Implementing the hydrogen economy", ''Journal of Cleaner Production''. Jan 2006, Vol. 14 Issue 1, p52-64. 13p. DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2005.05.027.</ref><ref>Petrović, Jelica; Ivković, Ivan; Vujačić, Ivan; Žeželj, Srećko. "POSSIBILITIES OF BUSES ON ALTERNATIVE FUEL IN PUBLIC URBAN TRANSPORT IN BELGRADE", ''Technological and Economic Development of Economy''. 2009, Vol. 15 Issue 1, p78-89.</ref><ref>COCKROFT, COLIN J.; OWEN, ANTHONY D. "The Economics of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Buses", ''Economic Record''. Dec 2007, Vol. 83 Issue 263, p359-370. 12p. 10 Charts. DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-4932.2007.00426.x.</ref> However, the buses were criticised by some operators for their high cost of operation compared to diesel buses, with Madrid reporting that they were around ten times as costly to fuel.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Dodson |first=Sean |date=2003-10-30 |title=All aboard the hydrogen bus |url=http://www.theguardian.com/science/2003/oct/30/research.science1 |access-date=2022-10-26 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref> Others noted the high purchase price of hydrogen buses,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kettle |first=Jane |date=20 January 2005 |title=Hydrogen bus pilot hailed success so far |url=https://www.edie.net/hydrogen-bus-pilot-hailed-success-so-far/ |access-date=2023-01-10 |website=Edie |language=en-GB |quote=The high cost of the hydrogen-powered buses is the main barrier at the moment}}</ref> and the need to build dedicated [[Hydrogen station|hydrogen filling stations]].<ref name=":2" />