US Hybrid, First Public Hydrogen Partner for Lancaster Hydrogen Manufacturing Hub – News and Statistics

Sep 26, 2026

US Hybrid Corp. and First Public Hydrogen have announced a public-private partnership that will place US Hybrid’s headquarters and original equipment manufacturing operations in the City of Lancaster, according to Hydrogen Central. The arrangement pairs zero-emission vehicle manufacturing with a public hydrogen supply intended to serve fleets across California and the wider region.

Under the agreement, First Public Hydrogen, described as the first public hydrogen joint powers authority in the country, will supply hydrogen to US Hybrid. The deal is among the authority’s first commercial offtake partnerships and ranks among the largest commitments to hydrogen mobility in the state so far.

The partners frame the arrangement as a response to an uneven hydrogen market, in which vehicles have been deployed where fuel is scarce and fuel has been produced where demand is uncertain. By locating manufacturing in Lancaster while securing fuel supply through the authority, the two sides aim to give fleets a coordinated route to hydrogen-powered operations.

US Hybrid plans to build hydrogen buses and trucks and to convert existing fleets to fuel-cell propulsion, an approach the company says extends the service life of vehicles already in service. The company engineers its own fuel-cell systems, power electronics and vehicle integration, and builds to meet demand for cleaner heavy-duty transport as California pursues its zero-emission vehicle goals.

The Lancaster headquarters is expected to bring 1,200 skilled manufacturing and engineering positions, with operations anticipated to begin in 2027.

Jason Lucas, president of US Hybrid, indicated that the company is building an ecosystem spanning hydrogen, the fleets that use it and the workforce needed to sustain it, and that the partnership with the authority is what makes that possible, with Lancaster as the place where the elements come together.

First Public Hydrogen was established to bridge the gap between hydrogen producers and the cities, transit agencies and companies prepared to use hydrogen. Producers require committed customers before they build, while customers need reliable supply before they commit. The authority positions itself between the two, securing supply on behalf of its members and customers and reducing barriers to participation on both sides.

The authority was founded by the City of Lancaster and the City of Industry and has grown to include the Cities of Montebello, Shafter and Fresno. Membership remains open to any public agency at no cost and without a purchase obligation. First Public Hydrogen is headquartered in Lancaster and operates statewide.

For Lancaster, the announcement is presented as delivering what economic development is meant to produce: a corporate headquarters, a production line and skilled careers. US Hybrid will work with local workforce development organizations and educational institutions to train and hire in the Antelope Valley, building its workforce in the same community where it builds its vehicles. The company’s arrival extends more than a decade of clean energy leadership in Lancaster, from requiring solar on new homes to deploying hydrogen in municipal operations.

Lancaster Mayor and authority chairman R. Rex Parris described the partnership as the model the authority was created to prove, saying US Hybrid is committing to vehicles, jobs and demand, the authority is committing to fuel, and Lancaster is committing to the sites, speed and workforce. He added that when a manufacturer places its headquarters near demand with fuel identified, fleets receive one answer to both halves of the zero-emission question, and producers gain the certainty needed to build in California.

The partnership’s reach extends to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, where US Hybrid equipment already operates. Both ports have committed to transitioning cargo-handling equipment and drayage trucks to zero emissions over the next decade, and surrounding communities carry some of the heaviest air pollution burdens in the country. Vehicles built in Lancaster and fueled through the authority are positioned to support those goals.

Mark Jurisic of ILWU Local 13 commented that longshore workers breathe the exhaust on every shift and that neighborhoods in Wilmington and San Pedro live with it daily. He indicated that meeting the ports’ clean air goals will require zero-emission equipment capable of moving cargo and running shifts while keeping the waterfront strong, and that hydrogen can perform that work without costing jobs on the docks.

The announcement is described as a first step, with each partner already moving to the next. US Hybrid is establishing its headquarters and production line in Lancaster, the authority is securing the hydrogen supply that will fuel the vehicles, and Lancaster is preparing sites and the workforce for the industry taking root. The three see a shared opportunity to demonstrate that hydrogen works when vehicles, fuel and place come together, and to invite the rest of California to build on it.

Public agencies can explore membership in the authority, and fleet operators can learn more about hydrogen vehicles and fleet conversions, through the organizations’ respective websites.