Cars and trucks in the EU should be able to refuel with hydrogen every 100km by 2028, according to revisions to the Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Regulation called for by members of the European Parliament.

The Committee on Transport and Tourism adopted this position yesterday by a large majority. Positions formed by committees are used as a basis for discussions in the European Parliament and often broadly reflect the final shape of the law.

The revisions were more ambitious and faster than the initial hydrogen infrastructure proposals from the European Commission—which suggested refuelling stations every 150km by 2031.

Drivers of alternative-fuel vehicles should be able to pay for their fuel easily, with prices and accessibility the same for all vehicle brands, MEPs says.

“We are accelerating the transition to green mobility” Ertug, MEP

MEPs also want an EU access point for alternative fuels data to be set up by 2027 to provide information on the availability, waiting times and prices at different stations.

Some deployment exemptions will apply to the EU’s outermost regions, islands and roads with very little traffic.

The committee favours the introduction of penalties to secure compliance. Revenues generated from these should go to the Ocean Fund and contribute to decarbonising the maritime sector, energy efficiency and zero-emission propulsion technologies.

EU countries will be asked to present their plans by 2024 on how to achieve the measures.

“With more ambitious goals for the charging network and hydrogen, we are accelerating the transition to green mobility,” says Ismail Ertug, the MEP charged with seeing the file through the legislative process.

If the position is approved by the European Parliament’s plenary in two weeks, MEPs will enter discussions with representatives of the Council of the EU on the final shape of the law.

NGO Transport & Environment has previously said the hydrogen network targets in the initial Commission proposal were overly ambitious.

Given the lack of market readiness and the uncertainties around the future size of the fuel-cell electric truck fleet, the EU should start by targeting the deployment of refuelling stations at key hydrogen ecosystem locations instead of overbuilding a dense and expensive network across Europe, the NGO says.

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Author: Tom Young