A new piece in the East Bay Express tells the tale of AC Transit's decision to move forward with a $28 million purchase of 12 zero-emission, hydrogen fuel cell buses -- that's just over $2M per bus, and the same total price tag of 55 hybrid buses. Robert Gammon in the Express calls this a "boondoggle," and points to President Obama all but eradicating the federal fuel cell program due to costs.

But AC transit, one of the largest agencies of its kind in California, has been gung-ho for zero emission buses over hybrids, cost be damned. We personally hate seeing and smelling buses that belch out exhaust, but maybe there's a good case for why hybrids are the more pragmatic answer. What say you, dear readers?