Hydrogen Fueling Stations Slow in Coming

Japan Is the Uncontested Front-runner

Japan is the international front-runner in hydrogen fueling stations. About 100 are now in operation, leading Japanese automakers to put a greater emphasis on hydrogen as the fuel of the future. A partnership between Toyota, Nissan and Honda aims to greatly expand the national hydrogen fueling network in cooperation with a number of energy companies. Another 80 stations are due to be built over the next four years. The number should reach 320 by 2025 and 900 by 2030.

Fast Fueling

Vehicles that rely on hydrogen fuel cells are popular with consumers because they can be filled up like conventional models. The fueling process only takes about five minutes, and the drivers are on their way. It takes much longer to charge battery-electric vehicles, a current hydrogen station can fuel 40 cars a day.

California as Pioneer

The United States ranks third in the number of hydrogen fueling stations operating on its territory. Here California clearly stands out. As the U.S. Department of Energy reported in late January 2018, the state has 35 out of the country’s 39 hydrogen fueling stations. Not least of all, its pioneering role can be traced back to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s tenure as governor. Among other programs to safeguard the climate, he commissioned the construction of a network of hydrogen fueling stations.

For the May edition of our customer magazine ESSENTIAL, we spoke with Terry Tamminen about hydrogen as an important piece of the climate-protection puzzle, among other topics. Now CEO of the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, he was the environmental advisor to Arnold Schwarzenegger during his time as governor.