Commercializing light-duty plug-in/plug-out hydrogen-fuel-cell vehicles: “Mobile Electricity” technologies and opportunities

Starting from the premise that new consumer value must drive hydrogen-fuel-cell-vehicle (H2FCV) commercialization, a group of opportunities ollectively called “Mobile Electricity” is characterized. Mobile Electricity (Me-) redefines H2FCVs as innovative products able to import and xport electricity across the traditional vehicle boundary. Such vehicles could provide home recharging and mobile power, for example for tools, obile activities, emergencies, and electric-grid-support services. This study integrates and extends previous analyses of H2FCVs, plug-in hybrids, nd vehicle-to-grid (V2G) power. Further, it uses a new electric-drive-vehicle and vehicular-distributed-generation model to estimate zero-emissionower versus zero-emission-driving tradeoffs, costs, and grid-support revenues for various electric-drive vehicle types and levels of infrastructure ervice. By framing market development in terms of new consumer value flowing from Me-, this study suggests a way to move beyond the battery ersus fuel-cell zero-sum game and towards the development of integrated plug-in/plug-out hybrid platforms. As one possible extension of this eproduct platform, H2FCVs might supply clean, high-power, and profitable Meservices as the technologies and markets mature.