Surrey campus researchers are receiving almost $5 million from the federal government to develop new technology for hybrid electric vehicles and fuel cells.

Two local companies—Ballard Power Systems Inc. and Future Vehicle Technologies Inc.—are partnering with the SFU scientists.

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) is providing $4.1 million to help SFU and Ballard to create a new generation of cheaper, more durable heavy-duty bus fuel cells.

Fuel cell-powered buses provide cleaner, quieter transportation with lower emissions.

Erik Kjeang, an assistant professor with Mechatronics Systems Engineering program, says his team is working with Ballard on the HD7, a successor to the company’s HD6 fuel-cell module used by several transit systems including BC Transit.

“Our research aims to make fuel cells more competitive on a financial basis,” says Kjeang, who plans to hire up to three dozen more researchers, mostly students, in addition to the six students now working on the three-year project.

“Not only will we be developing the new technology, we’ll be training dozens of people to be future leaders in this field and that’s something the industry is really needing right now,” says Kjeang.

In a second SFU project with Future Vehicle Technologies, the Canada Foundation for Innovation and NSERC are contributing almost $800,000 to develop lighter, cheaper and more efficient energy-management systems for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs).

The project builds on existing research done between Future Vehicle Technologies and Mechatronics assistant professor Majid Bahrami.

Funding for both projects comes from Automotive Partnership Canada, a five-year, $145-million federal initiative.