Ballard, which claims to have a fleet of over 2,200 fuel cell-electric buses worldwide, will supply 500 of its 100kW FCmoveHD modules for New Flyer’s Xcelsior Charge FC 40-52-seat buses.

New Flyer said the agreement will build on its deployment of Ballard’s systems across 11 states in North America, where it has up to 150 fuel cell-electric buses in operation.

Details of where the new buses will operate remain undisclosed. However, Oben Uluc, Vice-President of Ballard, said the deal would expand the deployment of zero-emission buses throughout the continent.

Ballard recently reported it had cut its losses by 72% year-on-year from 2024 to 2025. Its losses narrowed from $323.5m in 2024 to $90.9m for the 12 months ending 31 December 2025.

Buses are increasingly making up a large portion of Ballard’s revenues.

While hydrogen vehicles are criticised for their low energy efficiency compared to battery electric vehicles, their increased range and low refuelling times are positioned as major advantages by proponents.

Non-profit clean transportation organisation Calstart recently reported that fuel cell-electric bus adoption grew by 49% in 2025 year-on-year – outpacing the growth of zero-emission buses as a whole.

However, their relative market share remains sluggish. Calstart’s report said that of over 8,000 zero-emission buses across the US, only around 850 are fuel cell-electric, with the remainder comprised of battery electric.