UTC Power and Van Hool Team Up to Market Fuel Cell Buses in Europe

LONG BEACH, Calif., March 14, 2006 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- UTC Power, part of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX), today announced at the National Hydrogen Association Annual Conference and Exposition that it will work with major Belgian bus manufacturer Van Hool to deliver a fuel cell-powered bus to DeLijn, the largest bus fleet operator in Belgium. The bus will operate in Belgium for six months before being leased to other transit agencies in Europe.

According to UTC Power President Jan van Dokkum, "We believe 'try-before- you-buy' lease opportunities will accelerate sales of these zero-emission buses equipped with our PureMotion(TM) 120 fuel cells. Similar Van Hool buses with our fuel cell system are in revenue service today at AC Transit and SunLine Transit Agency operations in Oakland and Palm Springs, California. As a matter of fact, the SunLine bus is operating up to 16 hours a day."

Van Hool Managing Director Leopold Van Hool said that by building a demonstration bus for the European market, the two companies hope to advance the use of fuel cell hybrid-electric technology. "And we will do that without compromising any of the Van Hool bus features which have been embraced by major international customers -- such as low floor throughout the bus, three wide doors, compliance to disabilities access regulations, a panoramic view including a rear window, air conditioning and all the other amenities of a modern bus," he added.

The UTC Power fuel cell system delivers up to 120 kW of power and is easily integrated into other heavy-duty hybrid vehicles.

Major attributes of buses with these fuel cell systems include zero emissions, extremely quiet operation and a fuel efficiency that is more than twice as high as the standard diesel-powered transit bus. The product's modular design also ensures ease of maintenance, which maximizes operating time.

AC Transit operates fuel cell buses in and around Oakland as a major part of one of the larger and more comprehensive hydrogen fuel cell demonstrations in the world. Said AC Transit's Rick Fernandez, "The response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive. People can hardly believe how quiet these buses are, but when they further learn that these vehicles emit zero pollution, they're extremely impressed."

According to C. Mikel Oglesby, general manager of SunLine Transit Agency, "Our new hydrogen hybrid fuel cell bus has surpassed our expectations for a zero-emission transit bus. We have treated the bus as a commercial unit and put it in full service lines that operate up to 16 hours and over 250 miles per day. Our most pleasant surprise is the superb fuel economy that has been seen in the preliminary stages of operation."

Many industry leaders view city transit buses as an ideal entry point for fuel cell technology into the transportation sector. Urban transport emissions are a significant quality of life issue affecting the respiratory health of a large segment of the population living in densely populated areas. Fuel cell transit buses have zero emissions and can have an immediate positive impact on street-level emissions. Also, transit buses are generally refueled at central locations, eliminating the need for an extensive network of hydrogen refueling stations.

United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Conn., provides high- technology products and services to the building and aerospace industries. Its UTC Power unit, based in South Windsor, Conn., includes UTC Fuel Cells and is a full-service provider of environmentally advanced power solutions. With more than 40 years of experience, UTC Power is a world leader in developing and producing fuel cells for onsite power, transportation and space flight applications, and a developer of innovative combined cooling, heating and power applications in the distributed energy market.

Van Hool of Belgium manufactures approximately 1,600 buses and coaches, and as many as 4,000 trailers annually, of which approximately 80 percent are exported worldwide to more than 80 countries. Van Hool has a reputation for designing and building high quality, state-of-the-art, tailor-made products. http://www.vanhool.be ABC Companies is the exclusive distributor of Van Hool coaches in the U.S.

Contact:

Peg Hashem

(860) 727 2093

Peg.hashem@utcpower.com

SOURCE UTC Power

CONTACT: Peg Hashem of United Technologies Corp., +1-860-727-2093, Peg.hashem@utcpower.com

URL: http://www.prnewswire.com

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KEYWORD: California

Belgium

Connecticut INDUSTRY KEYWORD: OIL

TRN SUBJECT CODE: JVN

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