The Hydrogen Workshop Transit Agencies Actually Need - CleanTechnica

The article discusses an upcoming hydrogen bus workshop hosted by CUTRIC and sponsored by Mississauga’s transit agency, MiWay, scheduled for March 20, 2026. The workshop assumes hydrogen buses are inevitable in transit fleets and focuses on preparing agencies for their arrival. However, the author argues that transit agencies actually need a workshop centered on managing the risks and challenges associated with hydrogen buses, rather than promoting their adoption. Key concerns include operational reliability, fiscal risks, staffing strains, and maintaining progress on battery electric bus deployment, which currently dominates the zero-emission bus market globally. Battery electric buses are far more efficient and widely adopted than hydrogen fuel cell buses. Electric buses convert 75-85% of electricity into motion, whereas hydrogen buses have an end-to-wheel efficiency of about 30%, requiring 2.5 to 3 times more electricity per kilometer. This inefficiency leads to higher operating costs, greater infrastructure demands, and increased grid loads. Additionally, hydrogen buses face reliability issues such as