US Hybrid Locates Headquarters and Manufacturing in Lancaster in Partnership with First Public Hydrogen Authority and City of Lancaster

Pairing zero-emission vehicle manufacturing with public hydrogen supply to serve fleets across California

LANCASTER, Calif., Aug. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- US Hybrid Corp. and First Public Hydrogen (FPH₂) today announced a public-private partnership marking a major step in California's transition to hydrogen-powered transportation. US Hybrid will locate its headquarters and original equipment manufacturing (OEM) operations in the City of Lancaster, and FPH₂, the nation's first public hydrogen joint powers authority, will supply the company with hydrogen. The agreement is one of FPH₂'s first commercial offtake partnerships and among the largest commitments to hydrogen mobility in the state to date.

The hydrogen market has grown unevenly. Vehicles have been deployed where fuel is scarce, and fuel has been produced where demand is uncertain. The partnership addresses both sides of that equation: US Hybrid manufactures the vehicles in Lancaster, and First Public Hydrogen delivers the fuel, giving fleets across California and the greater region a coordinated path to hydrogen-powered operations.

US Hybrid will manufacture hydrogen buses and trucks and convert existing fleets to fuel-cell propulsion, a repower approach that extends the service life of vehicles already in operation. The company engineers its own fuel-cell systems, power electronics, and vehicle integration, and builds to meet growing demand for cleaner heavy-duty transport as California advances its Zero-Emission Vehicle goals. The company's Lancaster headquarters will bring 1200 skilled manufacturing and engineering positions, with operations expected to begin in 2027.

"We are building more than vehicles," said Jason Lucas, president of US Hybrid. "We are building the ecosystem, from the hydrogen to the fleets that run on it, and the workforce California will need to keep it running for decades. No company does that alone. Our partnership with FPH₂ is what makes it possible, and Lancaster is where it comes together."

First Public Hydrogen was created to close the gap between hydrogen producers and the cities, transit agencies, and companies ready to use hydrogen. Producers need committed customers before they build. Customers need reliable supply before they commit. FPH₂ stands between the two, securing supply on behalf of its members and customers and lowering the barriers to participation on both sides. Founded by the City of Lancaster and the City of Industry, the Authority has grown to include the Cities of Montebello, Shafter, and Fresno, and membership remains open to any public agency at no cost and with no purchase obligation. FPH₂ is headquartered in Lancaster and operates statewide.

For the City of Lancaster, the announcement delivers what economic development is meant to deliver: 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. US Hybrid's arrival extends more than a decade of Lancaster's clean energy leadership, from requiring solar on new homes to deploying hydrogen in its own municipal operations.

"This partnership is the model FPH₂ was created to prove," said Lancaster Mayor and FPH₂ Chairman R. Rex Parris. "US Hybrid is committing to the vehicles, the jobs, and the demand. The Authority is committing to the fuel. Lancaster is committing to the place where it all comes together: the sites, the speed, and a workforce ready to build. When a manufacturer plants its headquarters near demand with fuel identified, fleets get one answer to both halves of the zero-emission question, the vehicle and the fuel that runs it, and producers get the certainty they need 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 the communities around them carry some of the nation's heaviest air pollution burdens. Lancaster-built vehicles, fueled through FPH₂, put California-built equipment behind those goals.

"Longshore workers breathe this exhaust on every shift, and our neighborhoods in Wilmington and San Pedro live with it every day. Meeting the ports' clean air goals will take zero-emission equipment that can do the work: move the cargo, run the shift, keep the waterfront strong. Hydrogen can do that work without costing a single job on the docks," said Mark Jurisic, ILWU Local 13.

Today's announcement is a first step, and each partner is already taking the next one. US Hybrid is establishing its headquarters and production line in Lancaster. FPH₂ is securing the hydrogen supply that will fuel the vehicles the company builds. And Lancaster is preparing the sites and the workforce for the industry taking root there. Together, the three see the same opportunity: to prove that when the vehicles, the fuel, and the place come together, hydrogen works, and to invite the rest of California to build on it.

Public agencies can explore FPH₂ membership at firstpublich2.com. Fleet operators can learn more about hydrogen vehicles and fleet conversions at us-hybrid.com.

About US Hybrid

Founded in 1999, US Hybrid is a California-based developer of hydrogen and electric propulsion systems. The company's work spans the hydrogen value chain, from fuel-cell engines and powertrains to end-use deployment across ports, heavy-duty fleets, mining, and defense, including projects with the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), transit systems across California and Hawaii, the New York City Department of Sanitation, and U.S. defense programs. References to these organizations reflect completed or ongoing work and do not constitute endorsement. US Hybrid's manufacturing operations are certified to ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015. Learn more at us-hybrid.com.

About FPH₂

First Public Hydrogen Authority (FPH₂) is the nation's first public hydrogen authority, a California Joint Powers Authority founded by the City of Lancaster and the City of Industry, with member agencies including the Cities of Montebello, Shafter, and Fresno. FPH₂ serves as a neutral aggregator, coordinator, and counterparty, bringing affordable, clean hydrogen to public agencies and other end users. By helping connect hydrogen producers with public and private end users, FPH₂ leverages centralized procurement, planning, and market coordination. Learn more at firstpublich2.com.

About the City of Lancaster

Lancaster is a diverse community of nearly 170,000, leading the future through science, technology, art, culture, and collaboration. Home to astronauts, rocket scientists, families, and innovative businesses large and small, we are leading the USA with innovation. Combined with spectacular landscapes and clean air, Lancaster has the confidence, expertise, spirit, and imagination to transform tomorrow. We are: Creating a better tomorrow. Visit us at www.cityoflancasterca.gov.

Media Contacts

Jason Lucas, US Hybrid, President, [email protected] 

Alexus Merino, Managing Director, First Public Hydrogen, [email protected] 

Jennifer Seguin, Manager, City of Lancaster, [email protected] 

SOURCE First Public Hydrogen Authority