Review - HR 6871 Introduced – Hydrogen Trucks

Last month, Rep Porter (D,CA) introduced HR 6871, the Hydrogen for Trucks Act of 2023. The bill would require DOT to establish a grant program to support “funding capital projects to purchase heavy-duty fuel cell vehicles and related equipment, including hydrogen fueling stations.” It would authorize $200 million per year through 2028 to fund the program.

This bill is very similar to S 648 (removed from paywall), which was introduced last March. No action has been taken on that legislation to date.

Moving Forward

Neither Porter, nor her sole cosponsor {Rep Bilirakis (R,FL)} are members of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, so it is unlikely that there is sufficient influence to see the bill considered in Committee. Since this legislation would increase spending and supports alternative fuel programs, it is likely to face significant Republican opposition. This bill is unlikely to be considered this session.

Commentary

While the cost of this bill is a potential political issue, the funding number is reasonable. According to one study, the cost of fuel-cell powered fright truck is between $200,000 to $600,000, so the proposed maximum funding per vehicle ($500,000) is well within that range. Assuming (for arguments sake) that the 20% cost share will go for overhead, etc., that means that if the funding were to go to just vehicles it would fund somewhere between 40 and 100 vehicles per year. Given the number of hydrogen fueling stations that will be needed to support these fleets, the number will be significantly smaller. That is not going to grow manufacturing capability very quickly.

 

For more details about this legislation, including differences from S 648, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/hr-6871-introduced - subscription required.