Hatley Castle in British Columbia near Victoria is where the film X–Man was filmed. No vehicles are allowed in front of the castle because of the emissions being harmful to the building. Because the Hydrogen Electric Bus is zero emissions, it was allowed to be driven in front of these special places. Photo contributed by Louis Fernandez Columbia sent a few contestants, some spectators, and one spectacular vehicle to the Vancouver Winter Olympics. The locally–developed hydrogen hybrid bus made the trek to show up and show off.

“The bus performed beyond our expectations,” says Jeff Ranta. An advertising and public relations professor at U.S.C., he serves as spokesman for the product, which many believe can revolutionize transportation. “Mileage was twice what we estimated; battery life outdid its projected term. It’s doing all we wanted, and more.”

Columbians have heard a lot about the hybrid bus, especially when the hydrogen conference took place here last year, bringing visitors from across the country and Europe to take a look. Last January, entrepreneur Louis Fernandez set out on a driving trip to Vancouver, stopping in several communities along the way to display and explain the one–of–a–kind vehicle.

“We arrived in Seattle and were ferried across to Vancouver,” he says. “We were all set to take on the job of transporting passengers around the area during the Olympics.

“At the last minute, it turned out that although this bus met all the U.S. requirements for public transport, it missed on a few minor specifications imposed by the Canadian government. Consequently, the bus was not approved to carry passengers there.

“Instead, we set up a shadow route, meaning we traveled the bus routes as if in public service. We took on what we called water bodies, bringing in weight to simulate human bodies, opening and closing doors, starting and stopping. We did everything we would have done to move people around, and the bus performed perfectly.

“We proved our point.”

Being shut out of passenger transport was a disappointment, of course, but the developers and promoters of the hybrid bus found satisfaction in the record their vehicle accomplished. In addition, the many stops across the country, both going and coming, brought opportunities to show it off and answer questions to inform the public The bus was built by Proterra Company of Golden, CO, which chose Columbia and U.S.C. for its developmental testing because of the mild climate and the local record of prominence in fuel cell research.

“While there are other electric hybrid vehicles being developed, this is the only one in the world with this type of batteries and this fuel–cell–to–battery configuration,” according to Ranta.

Louis Fernandez is proud of the product and enjoys showing it off to visitors. An experienced transport executive, he has overseen projects in England, Saudi Arabia, and others, and now heads his own company, “Signature Transportation Inc.” as part of the National Fuel Cell Bus Program.

“I grew up in Tampa, Florida,” he says. “That city has been greatly modernized by its overhauled transportation system. Now, Greenville S.C. is moving into a modern public transport plan. Columbia has a chance here to do the same.”

Last week, the bus arrived home in Columbia. Soon, it will begin moving U.S.C. students around their campus for the remaining weeks of the school year. During the summer, it will travel Columbia as part of the CMRTA (Columbia Metropolitan Regional Transport Authority). Next fall, it goes back onto the U.S.C. campus until January, when it will move to Austin, Texas for a role at the University of Texas.