Three pollution-free buses being tested in San Jose, Calif.,
will draw their power from hydrogen fueling stations designed by
Air Products and Chemicals. The Santa Clara Valley
Transportation Authority, called the VTA, kicked off a three-
year test program Thursday in San Jose. The VTA becomes the
latest in a series of American and European transit agencies to
test buses that create little or no pollution, to see how the
vehicles perform in everyday use. Financial terms of the deal
were not released. The VTA is running the program to comply with
tighter pollution regulations on public buses, adopted by
California five years ago. Fleet vehicles, such as buses, are
considered ideal users for hydrogen fuel because they refuel at
a single central station. In contrast, a national network of
stations would have to be built before hydrogen-powered cars
enter widespread use. Buses also are favored for hydrogen
conversion because of their stop-start use, and reputation for
emitting clouds of pollution as they pull away