In June 2012, we [CaFCP] published our initial thinking for the next stage of commercialization of fuel cell vehicles. It really was about creating a tangible actionable plan around the [infrastructure] network to support fuel cell vehicles. It was meant to be a living document based on collaboration and the collective work from the previous 10 years. With that in mind, about 6 months ago the team said “What’s next? How do we put the pieces together?”

I think about this report as being Chapter 2 rather than a new book. A lot of the assumptions in the original road map apply. They work in unison.

—Alex Keros

Progress in California towards rolling out fuel cell vehicles since the publication of the Road Map in 2012. Source: CaFCP, Alex Keros. Click to enlarge.

Background. In 2012, CaFCP published A California Road Map: Bringing Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles to the Golden State (earlier post) that concluded that California would need 68 hydrogen fueling stations in five geographic clusters in which most early adopters are expected to support the roll-out of fuel cell vehicles.

These cluster communities are:

• Berkeley
• South San Francisco Bay Area
• Santa Monica and West LA
• Torrance and nearby coastal communities
• Irvine and southern Orange County

Additional “connector” and “destination” stations in cities like Sacramento, Long Beach, Santa Barbara and San Diego were to connect the clusters into a regional network while serving as the nuclei for subsequent markets, according to the roadmap.

HyPPO. The Road Map used the best available information to establish the foundation for early market success—the underlying data, assumptions, and analyses reflected the then-current landscape. The HyPPO report seeks to build on those assumptions and analyses by updating relevant information and offering new perspective where the landscape has changed.

The report (and Keros during the webinar) noted the importance of the passage of California’s AB 8 (Perea, 2013). By re-authorizing multiple statewide programs, including the Air Resources Board’s (ARB) Air Quality Incentive Program (AQIP) and the California Energy Commission’s Alternative and Renewable Fuel & Vehicle Technology Program (ARFVTP), California renewed its commitment to invest in the development and deployment of advanced technologies through 2023. AB 8 establishes the programmatic foundation and the necessary funding.

With respect to FCEVs, AB 8 addresses the hydrogen station network where the Road Map left off: funding the initial network of stations. The bill includes a provision to fund at least 100 hydrogen stations with a commitment of up to $20 million a year through the Energy Commission’s ARFVTP. The bill establishes a collaboration between the Energy Commission, the ARB and industry to coordinate during early commercialization to conscientiously plan the network and to ensure the network meets early consumer needs. In parallel to the bill’s passage, three automakers (Hyundai, Toyota and Honda) announced plans to bring FCEVs to market in 2014 and 2015 while other automakers established FCEV technology collaborations.

HyPPO outlines six key building blocks to realize the development of the required infrastructure:

1. customer experience
2. full deployment of the funded stations
3. synchronizing vehicle market development
4. station performance and monitoring
5. codes, standards and regulations
6. preparing communities

The HyPPO report details 19 actions associated with these 6 building blocks:

Click to enlarge.

Resources

• A California Road Map The Commercialization of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles 2014 Update: Hydrogen Progress, Priorities and Opportunities (HyPPO) Report