Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV): Policy Advances to Enhance Commercial Success

Abstract

Many initiatives and policies attempt to make our air cleaner by reducing the carbon foot imprint on our planet. Most of the existing and planned initiatives have as their objectives the reduction of carbon dependency and the enhancement of newer or better technologies in the near future. However, numerous policies exist for electric vehicles (EVs), and only some policies address specific issues related to fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV). The lack of a distinction between the policies for EVs and FCEVs provides obstacles for the advancement of FCEV-related technologies that may otherwise be successful and competitive in the attempt to create a cleaner planet. Unfortunately, the lack of this distinction is not always based on intellectual or scientific evidence. Therefore, governments may need to introduce clearer policy distinctions in order to directly address FCEV-related challenges that may not pertain to other EVs. Unfortunately, lobbyism continues to exist that supports the maintenance of the status quo as new technologies may threaten traditional, less sustainable approaches to provide opportunities for a better environment. This lobbyism has partially succeeded in hindering the advancement of new technologies, partially because the development of new technologies may reduce profit and business opportunities for traditionalists. However, these challenges are slowly overcome as the demand for cleaner air and lower carbon emissions has increased, and a stronger movement toward newer and cleaner technologies has gained momentum. This paper will look at policies that have been either implemented or are in the process of being implemented to address the challenge of overcoming traditional obstacles with respect to the automobile industry. The paper reviewed, synthesized, and discussed policies in the USA, Japan, and the European Union that helped implement new technologies with a focus on FCEVs for larger mass markets. These regions were the focus of this paper because of their particular challenges. South Korea and China were not included in this discussion as these countries already have equal or even more advanced policies and initiatives in place.