The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which is the Federal US agency in charge of road safety, released earlier this year a final rule establishing two new Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), specifying performances requirements for hydrogen-powered vehicles.
The first standard is “Fuel system integrity of hydrogen vehicles” (FMVSS 307). it specifies requirements for the fuel system of hydrogen vehicles during in-use situations, as well as after crashes. This regulation aims to mitigate hazards associated with hydrogen leakage and discharge from the fuel system. It also establishes fuel system integrity requirements for both light and heavy vehicles, including protection against flammable conditions, warning systems for drivers about unsafe conditions, and hydrogen discharge systems. This standard would apply to all hydrogen-powered vehicles, with post-crash integrity requirements specifically targeting light vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of 4536 kg or less.
The second standard is “Compressed hydrogen storage system integrity” (FMVSS 308). It specifies requirements for the storage of compressed hydrogen, as a component. This standard aims to reduce accidents from fires due to hydrogen fuel leakages or explosion of the storage system. It applies to all motor vehicles powered by compressed hydrogen gas, regardless of their weight, except those using cryo-compressed or solid-state hydrogen storage systems.
These two new standards are based on Global Technical Regulations N°13, published in 2013, and will be effective on July 16th, 2025. They work together in conjunction to enhance the safety of hydrogen-powered vehicles and promote the adoption of this fuel technology in the automotive industry.
This is a major step forward for the United States, which until now has lacked any real regulations on this particularly important topic.
UTAC can support you in various projects related to the United States, hydrogen, and more generally international regulations.