For the past two years Switzerland’s CityCat Hydrogen Street Sweeper has been busy cleaning Basel’s streets. The project vehicle is based on a Bucher Schörling CityCat 2020 compact sweeper and features a fuel cell hybrid drive. It has been part of a pilot project to test the capabilities of hydrogen powered vehicles in everyday circumstances. The successful pilot has now ended and will move on to St. Gallen, Switzerland, where further practical tests will continue which will allow for additional real world usage conditions as well as a study of how the various components stand up as they age. Hydrogenics was asked to provide fuel cell systems when the initial units used from an alternate supplier developed issues.

Christian Bach from EMPA commented;”With the fuel cell system from Hydrogenics, the pilot project became a full success. The HyPM HD16 fuel cell system was easy to integrate and the sweeper is now a robust vehicle for every day operation. The public recognition of the sweeper for both public events and regular use on the streets of Basel is excellent. The drivers report a reliable and well performing vehicle and are impressed because the vehicle is much quieter, than diesel driven vehicle