Hydrogen

The US Government has completed a rollback of emissions targets in an attempt to support the car manufacturing industry – and it appears China may follow suit, according to reports from Reuters. Renewed emissions targets in the US will see the proposed mandatory five per cent annual increase in efficiency until 2026 – introduced by the previous Obama administration – reduced to just 1.5 per cent.

Japanese car giant Toyota says Australia is “perfectly placed” to adopt hydrogen cars, but the lack of refuelling points is holding back the technology. Toyota and Hyundai already produce showroom-ready hydrogen cars but can’t sell them to the public in Australia because there is nowhere to refuel them.

The Hyundai HDC-6 Neptune fuel-cell truck has been teased ahead of its release at the North American Commercial Vehicle Show in Atlanta. Hyundai has positioned itself as a leader alongside Toyota in the hydrogen fuel-cell world. It currently offers the Nexo fuel-cell crossover overseas, and will be bringing 20 to Australian roads as part of a trial involving Canberra government staff.

Audi is developing 12 electric vehicles for launch by 2025, but the luxury marque will also up its investment in hydrogen fuel cell development. Bram Schot, Audi's CEO, has told Autocar the company wants to speed up development of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles as the company harbours some fears about the supply of batteries and other vital EV components, but remains committed to emissions-free driving.

Federal Labor has promised to devote $1 billion to developing the Australian hydrogen sector, as part of a plan designed to "supercharge Australia's renewable energy industry". The plan would see a $3 million National Hydrogen Innovation Hub created in Gladstone, Queensland, driven by the broader promise of growth in the burgeoning hydrogen industry. According to the Federal Opposition, the industry could be worth $10 billion over the next two decades.