December 18, 2018
UL is getting behind hydrogen fuel as an energy of the future
Driving a hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric vehicle offers several benefits. In addition to longer travel ranges and faster refueling than battery technology, these vehicles do not emit greenhouse gases and the only byproduct is water. There are already thousands of hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric vehicles in the United States and countries around the world are making efforts to support this technology. One of the main hurdles standing in the way of broader adoption is the infrastructure needed to support hydrogen fuel stations, and UL actively supports the safe and sustainable deployment of this infrastructure to help support the industry.
“While the market acceptance of fuel cell vehicle technology has not lived up to its promise yet, it’s a chicken-and-egg dilemma,” explained Ken Boyce, a principal engineer director with UL. “Will manufacturers produce hydrogen vehicles and consumers demand them without more hydrogen fueling stations? Simultaneously, will investments in hydrogen stations be made without specialized vehicles and consumer demand? We are seeing greater interest from federal, state and local governments in supporting infrastructure development and that should help spur the market. We are seeing greater interest from federal, state and local governments in supporting infrastructure development and that should help spur the market.”
Boyce is an optimist about the future of hydrogen because it is abundant, clean and dispatchable. He anticipates that hydrogen will see exponential growth and knows that UL will be there to assist with its safe and sustainable deployment.
Learn more about UL’s efforts in this exciting future energy.