THE HYDROGEN TRANSITION

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) experienced a surge of interest in the early 2000s due to their potential to provide significant reductions in greenhouse gas and criteria air pollution, quick acceleration, fast refill, long range and ability to use a fuel (hydrogen) derived from domestic energy resources. However, public interest waned by the late 2000s as FCVs did not materialize in the showrooms and plug-in battery vehicles began entering the commercial market. The perception was that hydrogen was too difficult, and would not appear for several decades, if at all. However, in the past few years, important factors have emerged that are re-accelerating the commercialization of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. These include sustained automaker development of FCVs resulting in lower component and vehicle costs and better performance and durability, sophisticated new infrastructure strategies, the rise of public private partnerships for FCV rollout, increase in public support, low-cost natural gas, Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) and carbon policies and interest in hydrogen for storing renewabl