European Parliament adopts hydrogen vehicle type approval and calls for infrastructure support
HFP, 10SEP2008: On September 3rd, the European Parliament backed European Commission proposals to boost the development of hydrogen vehicles, but warned that the strategy would fail without concrete measures to support the establishment of a Europe-wide filling station network for hydrogen powered vehicles.
"Hydrogen powered vehicles are unlikely to be successful on the market unless adequate filling station infrastructure is available in Europe. The Commission should therefore look into suitable measures to support the establishment of a Europe-wide filling station network for hydrogen powered vehicles," states the report, which calls on the EU to boost its hydrogen research activities under the Seventh Framework Research Programme.
The European Commission welcomes today's support of the European Parliament (EP) for its proposal to simplify the approval of hydrogen powered vehicles. This will mark a step forward in the development and marketing of clean and safe hydrogen vehicles. As a result, they will be seen more often on Europe's streets and the European automotive industry could become more competitive by taking the lead in hydrogen technology. The EP vote is based on a compromise reached with the Member States, which is expected to adopt the package shortly.
