Restrictions & Incentives

This LAP investigates:
• The restrictions imposed on hydrogen vehicles using public and private parking places, tunnels and other facilities of the transport network,
• The existing financial and non-financial incentives for hydrogen vehicles

Glossary:

Restrictions & Incentives mean the privileges and the restrictions which could be established for hydrogen vehicles by using public and private parking facilities, tunnels other facilities of the transport network.

Pan-European Assessment:

Restrictions for hydrogen vehicles when using public road infrastructure may be imposed in relation to the on-board storage of high pressure or liquid hydrogen and their classification as dangerous goods according to ADR. In general, no substantial restrictions or barriers for hydrogen powered vehicles using the elements of the public transport network are identified.

Nevertheless, the passing through some categories of tunnels or parking in underground garages could be forbidden for some types of hydrogen powered vehicles, especially busses and trucks. Due to the limited number of the hydrogen powered vehicles in use, the potential restrictions on transportation of hydrogen powered vehicles with ferry or train are rather unknown. It is possible that the ferry/train operator may require information about the type of the vehicle to be transported or restrict the number of hydrogen powered vehicles transported on board. As a whole, there is no enough experience and sufficient information about the restrictions which may be imposed on hydrogen busses, trolleybuses ant trucks when using the facilities of the public transport infrastructure.

For purposes of achieving their energy and climate policy goals the majority of partner countries have adopted a number of policies, national legislative acts and support schemes for stimulating the market of electric, or low (zero) emission vehicles The FCEVs are legally defined as electric drive vehicles or as low (zero) emission vehicles and could benefit from the financial and non-financial incentives established for these types of vehicles.
The support measures mainly consist of tax and registration fee reductions and exemptions, the purchase grants and green or white certificates are less commonly used support tools. The toll charges exemptions are in place only in a few countries. The public procurement rules for acquisition of low emission vehicles are also not widespread used support instrument. In several countries, the local authorities may provide privileges for FCEVs such as access to bus lines and free/reduced parking in public parking spaces.
The existing support mechanisms are fragmented and mainly aimed at battery electric cars.
The lack of complex, appropriate and technology neutral support measures are considered as a significant economic barrier and in some cases as a regulatory gap for successful market deployment of the FCEVs.
Is it a barrier?
Yes
Type of Barrier
Economic barrier, Regulatory gap
Assessment Severity
3
Assessment
The acess of H2 vehicles to parkings, tunnels and other covered sites (private or public) will contribute to a larger social acceptability of these vehicles and facilitate their daily use by a large private and professional public. The incentives for electric vehicles are focused on personnal vehicles but not on utility or heavy-duty vehicles or buses.... There should be a larger incentive basis. The procurement rules seting quatas of at least 20 % share of electric or zero emission vehicles for vehicles for public fleets (municipalities, local governments.....) could have a "boosting" effect, but will not be sufficient if there are no specific incentives for H2 vehicles and on the associated refueling infrastructure to bring them at the same level of price as battery electic vehicles.

Questions:

Question 1 Is there any restriction for hydrogen vehicles?: a) use of tunnels i. cars (incl. taxis) ii. buses iii. trolleybuses iv. trucks b) parking places (e.g. underground) i. cars (incl. taxis) ii. buses iii. trolleybuses iv. trucks c) ferry i. cars (incl. taxis) ii. buses iii. trolleybuses iv. trucks d) trains i. cars (incl. taxis) ii. buses iii. trolleybuses iv. trucks e) others i. cars (incl. taxis) ii. buses iii. trolleybuses iv. trucks
a) use of tunnels i. – no ii. – Yes. There could be some restrictions depending on the classification of the tunnel relatively to the authorized dangerous goods in this tunnel (there is a national database for the classification of each tunnel un France– The legal situation has to be clarified exactly: should the H2 on–board the bus be considered as a dangerous good or as the fuel (the transported H2 quantity is 5 times higher for bus than for a car) – AFHYPAC will clarify this question in 2018 iii. – t.b.d.s iv. – same as for busses b) parking places (e.g. underground) i. – no ii. – yes : H2 buses are not allowed to park in a covered parking spaces (underground parking or covered parking – they are allowed to be stationed outside in specific bus depots. (t.b.c) . iii. – t.b.d. iv. – t.b.d. c) ferry i. – t.b.d ii. – t.b.d iii. – t.b.d iv. – t.b.d d) trains i. – t.b.d ii. – t.b.d iii. – t.b.d iv. – t.b.d e) others i. – n/a ii. – n/a iii. – n/a iv. – n/a
Question 2 Are there any incentives for hydrogen vehicles? a) access to specific lanes (e.g. bus) i. cars (incl. taxis) ii. buses iii. trolleybuses iv. trucks b) free/reduced fee parking i. cars (incl. taxis) ii. buses iii. trolleybuses iv. trucks c) tax incentives i. cars (incl. taxis) ii. buses iii. trolleybuses iv. trucks d) registration fee reduction i. cars (incl. taxis) ii. buses iii. trolleybuses iv. trucks e) toll charges exemption (e.g. congestion charge in London) i. cars (incl. taxis) ii. buses iii. trolleybuses iv. trucks e) public procurement rules i. cars (incl. taxis) ii. buses iii. trolleybuses iv. trucks e) others i. cars (incl. taxis) ii. buses iii. trolleybuses iv. trucks
a) access to specific lanes (e.g. bus) i. – actually there are no specific incentives other than the incentives for battery electric vehicles - FCEV are electrical vehicles, so they can access to the same "incentives" than battery electric vehicles – ii. – It depends on the system in each town (sometimes there are specific lanes for busses, sometimes not) iii. – same as for busses iv. – t.b.d. b) free/reduced fee parking i. – depending on the local level on a case by case basis – the tendency is to consider that H2 cars have to be treated as battery electric vehicles and will benefit from the same advantages: i.e. H2 cars can benefit from reduced parking fees depending on the decisions of the local authorities (at the level of the city administration) . ii. – t.b.d. iii. – t.b.d. iv. – t.b.d. c) tax incentives i. – H2 cars are considered as electric vehicles and benefits from following advantages: – registration fee reduction = 0 € or reduced fee, depending on the region were the vehicle is registered (regional and department administration – 0 € tax for vehicles owned by professionals). – n/a ii. – n/a iii. – n/a iv. – n/a d) registration fee reduction i. – registration fee reduced to 0 € ii. – t.b.d iii. – t.b.d. iv. – t.b.d. e) toll charges exemption (e.g. congestion charge in London) i. – for cars there is a general tendency to forbid certain type of cars within the town / city center during days with high atmospheric pollution rate – H2 cars will be authorised as other emission free vehicles. ii. – same as for cars. iii. – t.b.d. iv. – probably same as for cars f) public procurement rules i. – H2 cars are considered as electric vehicles ii. – H2 busses are considered as electric busses iii. – t.b.d. iv. – t.b.d. g) others i. – n.a ii. – n.a. iii. – n.a. iv. – n.a.
Describe the comparable technology and its relevance with regard to hydrogen
Battery electric vehicles, natural gas vehicles, LPG vehiclest

National legislation:

EU Legislation: