Giantleap · Project

Smart Diagnostics That Keep Hydrogen Fuel Cell Buses Running Longer and Cheaper

transportTestedTRL 6

Hydrogen-powered buses exist, but they break down too often — and surprisingly, it's usually the control software failing, not the fuel cells themselves. Giantleap built a smart monitoring system that watches fuel cell health in real time, predicts when something is about to go wrong, and automatically adjusts how the bus uses power to extend the fuel cell's life. Think of it like a fitness tracker for a bus engine — it spots problems early and coaches the system to avoid damage. They even built a swappable fuel-cell trailer so if something does fail, you just swap it out and the bus keeps running.

By the numbers

30kW

Full-size fuel cell stack power rating

Full-size stacks manufactured for integration

Single cells built for laboratory testing

Consortium partners across 6 countries

Industry partners in the consortium

TRL 6

Target technology readiness level

The business problem

What needed solving

Hydrogen fuel cell buses exist but break down too often, mostly due to poor control software rather than fuel cell failure. This low availability drives up total cost of ownership and makes transit operators hesitant to switch from diesel. Fleet managers need fuel cell systems that match diesel-level reliability before they can justify the investment.

The solution

What was built

The project built a trailer-mounted fuel-cell range extender for battery city buses, including three 30kW PEM fuel cell stacks, an assembled and commissioned fuel cell system with degradation diagnostics, and advanced control algorithms that use existing current sensors to predict remaining useful life and optimize fuel cell usage in real time.

Audience

Who needs this

City transit authorities operating or planning hydrogen bus fleetsPEM fuel cell stack and system manufacturers for heavy-duty vehiclesBus OEMs integrating hydrogen powertrainsFleet maintenance and operations companies managing hydrogen vehiclesHydrogen infrastructure providers looking to improve total cost of ownership

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Public transit operators

enterprise

Target: City bus fleet operators running or planning hydrogen fuel cell routes

If you are a transit authority dealing with low availability and high maintenance costs on fuel cell buses — this project developed diagnostic and prognostic control software that monitors fuel cell health in real time and extends system lifetime. The swappable range-extender design means a malfunctioning unit can be replaced without taking the bus out of service, pushing availability to diesel-bus levels or better.

Fuel cell system manufacturers

mid-size

Target: Companies building PEM fuel cell stacks and systems for heavy-duty vehicles

If you are a fuel cell manufacturer struggling with warranty claims and premature stack degradation — this project developed advanced algorithms that use existing current sensors to diagnose degradation and predict residual useful life, making the approach cost-effective without additional hardware. Three 30kW full-size stacks were built, assembled, and tested in a real bus range extender configuration.

Bus and commercial vehicle OEMs

enterprise

Target: Vehicle manufacturers integrating hydrogen powertrains into buses or trucks

If you are a bus manufacturer looking to offer hydrogen options that match diesel reliability — this project engineered a trailer-mounted fuel-cell range extender for battery city buses with robust hybridization strategies. The large battery buffer gives the control system room to optimize fuel cell usage, and the modular range extender can be swapped in minutes to keep fleet uptime high.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement this diagnostic system in our fleet?

The project specifically designed its diagnostics around existing current sensors to keep costs down — no expensive additional hardware is needed. Based on available project data, specific per-unit pricing was not published. Contact the consortium for licensing and integration cost estimates.

Can this scale to a full commercial bus fleet?

The project reached TRL 6 with a prototype range extender tested in a relevant environment. Three 30kW full-size stacks were manufactured and integrated into a complete fuel cell system. Scaling to full fleet deployment would require further engineering and certification, but the core technology was validated at a meaningful scale.

What is the IP situation — can we license this technology?

The project involved 12 partners across 6 countries, with 6 industry partners. IP is likely shared among consortium members including SINTEF (coordinator), VDL (bus manufacturer), BEG, and EK (stack manufacturer). Licensing discussions would need to go through the consortium partners.

How does the swappable range extender actually work?

VDL engineered a trailer-mounted fuel-cell range extender that houses the fuel cell system, hydrogen storage tanks, and balance-of-plant components. If a malfunction occurs during operation, the large battery capacity allows the bus to finish its route. Back at the depot, the range extender unit is swapped out, keeping the bus in service.

What reliability improvement can we expect?

The project's explicit goal was to increase availability to diesel bus levels or better. Low availability in previous fuel cell bus deployments was almost always due to control issues and hybridization strategies rather than fuel cell failures. The advanced diagnostics and prognostics system addresses exactly this root cause.

Is this only for buses or can it apply to other hydrogen vehicles?

The prototype was built for city buses, but the diagnostic algorithms, degradation models, and control strategies for PEM fuel cells are applicable to any hydrogen vehicle or stationary fuel cell system. The sensor-based approach was designed to be cost-effective and transferable.

Consortium

Who built it

The Giantleap consortium brings together 12 partners from 6 countries (Belgium, Germany, France, Croatia, Netherlands, Norway), with a balanced 50% industry ratio. SINTEF, the Norwegian applied research institute, coordinates the project and contributed fuel cell degradation expertise. The consortium includes a bus manufacturer (VDL) who built the range extender prototype, a fuel cell system integrator (BEG) who assembled and commissioned the system, and a stack manufacturer (EK) who produced the 30kW stacks. Four university partners provided the scientific foundation for diagnostics and prognostics. This mix of manufacturers, integrators, and researchers means the technology was developed with real production constraints in mind — not just lab theory.

SINTEF ASCoordinator · NO
SVEUCILISTE U SPLITU, FAKULTET ELEKTROTEHNIKE, STROJARSTVA I BRODOGRADNJEparticipant · HR
VDL BUS EINDHOVEN BVthirdparty · NL
STIFTELSEN SINTEFparticipant · NO
VDL BUS ROESELAREthirdparty · BE
UNIVERSITE DE FRANCHE-COMTEparticipant · FR
BOSCH ENGINEERING GMBHparticipant · DE
VDL BUS & COACH BVparticipant · NL
VDL ENABLING TRANSPORT SOLUTIONS BVparticipant · NL
UNIVERSITE GUSTAVE EIFFELthirdparty · FR
ELRINGKLINGER AGparticipant · DE
ECOLE NATIONALE SUPERIEURE DE MECANIQUE ET DES MICROTECHNIQUESthirdparty · FR

How to reach the team

SINTEF AS (Norway) — a major Nordic applied research organization. Coordinator contacts can be found through SINTEF's public directory or project website.

Order a report on this consortium See SINTEF AS profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the Giantleap team for licensing or integration discussions? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the right technical contact at SINTEF or the industrial partners.

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