This resolution nullifies safety standards for hydrogen vehicles that were designed to protect against fuel leaks and explosions. It means there will be fewer regulations for manufacturers regarding hydrogen fuel systems.
This joint resolution nullifies the final rule issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration titled Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Fuel System Integrity of Hydrogen Vehicles; Compressed Hydrogen Storage System Integrity; Incorporation by Reference and published on January 17, 2025. This final rule establishes two new Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) specifying performance requirements for all motor vehicles that use hydrogen as a fuel source. FMVSS No. 307 sets requirements for the fuel system in hydrogen vehicles during normal vehicle operations and after crashes, as well as performance requirements for the hydrogen fuel system. FMVSS No. 308 regulates the compressed hydrogen storage system (CHSS) and includes performance requirements intended to ensure the CHSS is unlikely to leak or burst during use. It also specifies performance requirements for different CHSS closure devices (i. e., the check valves, shut-off valves, and thermally activated pressure relief devices that control the flow of hydrogen into or out of a CHSS). The final rule is based on Global Technical Regulation (GTR) No. 13, Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Vehicles. As background, the United States is a contracting party to a 1998 agreement that is administered by the UN Economic Commission for Europe's World Forum for the Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations and concerns the establishment of GTRs.
