One of the biggest sticking points in the adoption of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in the US is the necessity of building a completely new type of fueling infrastructure for them.
In California, where there is a great deal of government and public support for alternative fuel vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are gaining traction along with their related hydrogen fueling stations. According to “The Retail Hydrogen Fueling Station Network Update” published in July by the California Fuel Cell Partnership (CaFCP), there are currently 35 retail hydrogen fueling stations in California, with 29 in development. And the State of California has a target of 200 operating hydrogen stations by 2025!
While the West Coast appears to be serious about adopting this new technology, the heavily travelled East Coast corridor remains stubbornly tied to the gasoline engine. The Northeast (which includes Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey for purposes of this discussion) currently has only four hydrogen fueling stations, with a total of 12 planned. The lack of one large state, like California, makes it more challenging to design, build and permit hydrogen fueling infrastructure and to implement regulations that would encourage the greater use of alternative fuels, such as hydrogen, throughout the region.
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