Where in Europe will hydrogen become competitive first?

Abstract

The hydrogen and fuel cell (HFC) technology is expected to be commercially available at some point of time in the period 2015-25. It will, however, not be equally competitive in all regions and countries of Europe at the same time. The paper identifies the regions and countries where the conditions are most favourable for using HFC technology in automotive transport. These conditions include high fuel taxes, significant vehicle tax reductions for HFC vehicles, high car and population density, and a high level of disposable income. Other more local incentives such as road tolls, congestion taxes, and parking fees could be expected to be used in areas where the HFC technology can give a significant contribution to reduction of local air pollution. These regions are shown too.