Projects across the Department of Transportation

The U.S. Department of Transportation's efforts to develop hydrogen technology fit within the basic research & development paradigm:

1. Research: Idea is broadly assessed and vetted
2. Development (D-1): Idea is modeled mathematically and physically
3. Demonstration (D-2): Idea is fully scaled up into a working model
4. Deployment (D-3): Idea is mass-produced or distributed to society

By sharing and coordinating their hydrogen-related research and development activities every step of the way, DOT's various Administrations are helping to accelerate progress toward a hydrogren economy and make smarter use of limited resources.

Find out more about the individual efforts of DOT agencies here:

Ad Hoc Committee on a Regulatory Framework for a Hydrogen Economy

• The Ad Hoc Committee on a Regulatory Framework for a Hydrogen Economy is a subgroup of the Interagency Working Group on Hydrogen that is chaired by the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA). The Committee includes representatives from DOT, Occupational Safety and Health Administration/U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Department of State.
  
  The Ad Hoc Group is developing a comprehensive regulatory framework that addresses issues of safety, economic utility, and environmental soundness through the identification of existing regulatory and statutory authorities, status of those regulations, any gaps in those authorities, and the lead agency (or instances in which shared authorities exist). The Committee promotes consistency within the regulations and comprehensive communications about regulatory oversight among government, industry, and academia on existing and planned activities related to hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.

Maritime Administration (MARAD)

• United States Maritime Marine Alternative Power Program

Federal Transit Administration (FTA)

• Base Case Life Cycle Cost Model Input & Output - New!
• Fuel Cell Bus Life Cycle Cost Model: Base Case and Future Scenario Analysis - New!
• Presentation (PDF - 520KB | HTML - 888KB | PPT - 1.26MB)
• Report
• National Fuel Cell Bus Program Grants Awarded

Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA)

• Base Case Life Cycle Cost Model Input & Output - New!
• Fuel Cell Bus Life Cycle Cost Model: Base Case and Future Scenario Analysis - New!
• Presentation (PDF - 520KB | HTML - 888KB | PPT - 1.26MB)
• Report
• Hydrogen Executive Leadership Panel

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)

• Safety guidelines for the use of hydrogen as an alternative fuel in commercial vehicles
  FMCSA currently has a project to develop safety guidelines for the use of hydrogen as an alternative fuel in commercial vehicles (i.e., trucks and motorcoaches). This project supports the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Hydrogen Fuels Working Group, which implements the President’s Hydrogen Fuels Initiative. DOT envisions hydrogen being used as a near-term or mid-term alternative fuel technology for commercial vehicles in two ways: (1) to provide auxiliary power (i.e., refrigeration, lighting, and air conditioning) to avoid diesel idling and (2) to provide propulsion power in local, urban fleets of delivery trucks. At present, because there are no facility and vehicle guidelines to assist commercial vehicle fleets considering hydrogen as an alternative fuel, this project will provide general guidelines on the proper operation, maintenance, and inspection of hydrogen fuel systems in commercial vehicles. It will also evaluate the impact that hydrogen fuel systems may have on Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and recommend any changes needed in commercial inspection/enforcement procedures. The guidelines are intended to assist commercial vehicle fleet managers who supervise drivers on the road as well as operations and maintenance personnel at fleet terminals.
• Guidelines on the Safe Operation and Maintenance of Commercial Vehicles Using Hydrogen as an Alternative Fuel
• Recommended Revisions to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations for Accommodating Hydrogen as an Alternative Fuel
• Recommended Changes to the North American Standard Level 1 Inspection Procedures for Commercial Vehicles Using Hydrogen as an Alternative Fuel