Australian manufacturer ARCC has reached a major milestone. As its first hydrogen fuel-cell chassis enters the trial stage in NSW, ARCC is continuing to reach for the stars when it comes to zero-emissions transport.
It’s been seven years since Aluminium Revolutionary Chassis Company (ARCC) first began working on its novel approach to building zero-emissions vehicles.
As it continues to raise its profile in Australia, ARCC has produced a prototype full electric city bus chassis and a hydrogen fuel-cell version. The latter is set to transform zero-emissions transport on New South Wales’s Central Coast from March onwards.
“With the launch of our hydrogen fuel-cell chassis in the Central Coast in late February, we said we’ve become an overnight success after seven years of work and effort,” ARCC managing director and founder Peter Murley told ABC.
“We can now deliver unique, market-leading zero-emissions vehicles that are performing far above our expectations. It’s a credit to our whole team.”
The hydrogen fuel-cell Hydrolight bus is now set to prove itself on Australia’s roads, with the first prototype being delivered to Bateau Bay’s Red Bus Services. Red Bus will run a trial of hydrogen fuel-cell bus technology using ARCC’s local chassis design.
Alongside trial partner Origin Energy, ARCC will supply the technology to Red Bus to run from March 6 until the end of June 2023.
The Hydrolight, which has begun transporting NSW passengers, has plenty in common with ARCC’s electric version – both weigh up to 20 per cent less than most competing zero-emissions buses. But unique design technology developed by Murley and his team means the two buses are more similar than one might initially think.
“Our zero-emissions vehicles are agnostic to a powertrain,” Murley says.
“Whether it’s a battery electric or hydrogen bus, our technology means from the roof down it’s essentially the same vehicle.
“It’s all about future proofing. Battery electric buses are the technology of choice currently, but when practical solutions and commercial metrics around hydrogen storage and refuelling are found, then customers can lift off our battery electric module and mount the hydrogen module with the process taking around a day and a half and requiring limited software changes.”
RELATED ARTICLE: ARCC completes Australian hydrogen fuel-cell bus
This revolutionary concept has taken seven years of consultation with a variety of different engineered solutions to develop. It’s resulted in a bespoke architecture where ARCC combines chassis and body solutions to make scalable bus models for the local market that also lend themselves to creating opportunities for export.
ARCC’s model involves a front, middle and rear modular concept that bolts together to create a zero-emissions chassis and body combination. The structure, made fully from aluminium, comes in both electric and hydrogen models to provide multiple fuel source options.
Murley says the Australian-manufactured buses’ design has more benefits outside of their tailorable nature.
“Our goal is to have a considered and structured approach to manufacturing this technology,” Murley says.
“Our architecture is unique because it’s agnostic to running gear. We currently work closely with Scania and have integrated their running gear into our Viking models.
“Our vehicles have 16 tonne and 18 tonne variants. We’ve been able to engineer the 16 tonne version so that it doesn’t compromise passenger numbers even with the lower gross vehicle mass (GVM). This very much fits with the ARCC ethos of doing more with less.”
Alongside Red Bus, Transit Systems and ComfortDelGro (CDC) have also been confirmed as launch partners to trial ARCC’s local technology. Murley says first deliveries are scheduled to begin midway through this year, with ARCC planning to open its order book to government and private sector customers by the end of April.
Murley is hoping that the industry will jump at the novel design after seeing them run as part of NSW’s first hydrogen-powered electric buses on the Central Coast.
“We see ourselves as a technology business, not just a bus one, so our modularity is where we’ll expand our current model scope,” Murley says.
“What we’ve done with hydrogen can be applied across other applications like trucking, mining and civil work, so we’ll continue partnering with educational institutions to develop the transition of operators’ existing staff to the zero-emissions future while also engaging in the development of the future workforce across aligned industries in Australia.”
ARCC’s prototype hydrogen bus has been linked with a sophisticated telematics software to allow both ARCC and Red Bus to track the trial vehicle at all times. After running the trial on the Central Coast, ARCC then has trials lined up in Victoria to run two hydrogen buses to spread the word of its capabilities.
Murley says the trial with Red Bus comes at a prime time to show the Australian transport industry that supporting refuelling and charging infrastructure is pivotal to growing the zero-emissions vehicle space.
“Australian manufacturers have made fantastic buses in the same way for years,” Murley says.
“We think we’ve enhanced this design and added a different line of thinking – there’s nothing in the world currently that replicates what we’ve achieved in the past seven years.”
 |
| ARCC’s Peter Murley |
If the latest hydrogen fuel-cell model follows ARCC’s previous vehicles, then Murley is confident his company can be at the cutting edge of a hydrogen and battery electric bus revolution. In the past, Murley was part of the group responsible for providing the first electric buses that were delivered to Sydney Airport seven years ago.
The Blue Emu buses continue to perform efficiently and reliably. Murley says many of his learnings from delivering those buses formed the genesis for the innovations in the ARCC buses we see today.
With ARCC’s ability to switch between battery and hydrogen powered systems, there are opportunities for ARCC when bus batteries eventually need replacing. Murley sees the opportunity to repurpose the batteries and place them in homes or commercial applications to give them a second life.
All of this will complement a further three prototype aluminium chassis that ARCC is developing, with technology being engineered for hydrogen fuel-cell and electric propulsion.
Yet ARCC isn’t getting ahead of itself. Murley is confident in the technology and testing that he has tweaked throughout the years. Now, he’s looking forward to seeing how they fare on NSW roads and the reaction they receive from the local bus industry before he worries about the manufacturer’s expansion plans.
“We think we’re well-placed – we’re impressed with the hydrogen model’s comfort levels, how it rides and its lightweight nature that positively impacts its performance on Australian roads,” Murley says.
“We’ve seen the range of the bus only increase. After Red Bus trial it, we’re certain the range will significantly lower the cost for operators who won’t need similar amounts of charging or refuelling infrastructure as seen in other models.
“I’m proud to have led ARCC to the point where we can deliver a unique and market leading zero-emissions vehicle that utilises world-class technology and design to win recognition and support.”