A significant shift in California’s transportation sector was announced in mid-April 2022 to eliminate the sale of fossil-fuel-powered vehicles by 2035. California’s clean-air regulators proposed a plan to increase the sale of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (HFCVs) to replace gasoline and diesel-powered cars and trucks in an effort to reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere significantly. If approved, the new legislation would require 35% of new passenger vehicles to be powered by electricity or hydrogen by 2026 and 100% of retail sales to be net-zero emission vehicles by 2035.
If that hasn’t gotten your attention, it’s time to stop what you’re doing and consider the future of your business.
While California has been a leader in alternative fuels for decades, this is only the beginning of a dramatic shift spreading across the United States. The current war
in Ukraine has brought attention to the power of gasoline manufacturers and the financial impact when supplies are threatened. Auto manufacturers are ramping up production of HFCVs and BEVs, and it’s expected that hydrogen will be the fuel of choice for commercial, industrial, and trucking industries nationwide.
Additional proposed legislation will help support building the infrastructure.
Congressional leaders realize the transition to hydrogen fuel cell cars, trucks, and commercial equipment requires attention from two fronts: incentivizing the production and sale of the vehicles and promoting the development of the refueling infrastructure to keep these units on the roads. Senate Bill 3806, the Hydrogen for Trucks Act, was introduced by U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) to support the widespread adoption of heavy-duty HFCVs and the development of an infrastructure of hydrogen fueling stations. In the House, companion legislation, HR 7064, is being led by Representatives Katie Porter (D-Calif) and Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.)
According to Senators Coons and Cornyn, the Hydrogen for Trucks Act will:
“establish a grant program to support fleet operators in adopting heavy-duty fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen fueling stations while collecting critical data to inform future investments in hydrogen trucking infrastructure. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are currently in the demonstration phase and just entering the commercial stage. The grant program would lower cost barriers and reduce the risk for first movers by providing data and benchmarks, thereby incentivizing private investment and accelerating deployment. Likewise, the parallel deployment of vehicles and fueling stations will ensure their immediate utilization in the hydrogen economy.”
The good news for fuel station owners is that there is a cost-effective solution to begin providing hydrogen fuel in a scalable manner now. Doing so will put your name at the forefront of consumers’ minds when they need to fuel up.
PowerTap Changes the Playing Field
The Andretti Group with PowerTap Hydrogen allows fuel station owners to produce hydrogen fuel on-site, with a production unit taking up less than 1,000 square feet of space. Our units can produce over 1,250 kg of pure hydrogen each day using only city water, natural gas, and electricity. With PowerTap Hydrogen, it’s possible to produce fuel at less than $2 per kilogram–that’s about $9 to $11 less than purchasing hydrogen fuel from a wholesaler or creating it onsite via alternative solutions.
It’s only a matter of time until your customers need hydrogen fuel. If you’re interested in diversifying your current product mix or would like to begin a journey in the exciting future of alternative energy solutions, contact our team at the Andretti Group today. We’d love to show you how easy it is to be a part of the hydrogen fuel revolution.