Abstract:

As the demonstration scale of fuel cell vehicles expands in China, the industry-driven effect has become increasingly obvious. Except for the five major demonstration cities, the overall scale of fuel cell vehicle promotion in China is relatively limited, and the demonstration effect has not been effectively replicated. Local governments face challenges in deciding whether to prioritize the purchase of fuel cell vehicles or the construction of hydrogen refueling stations when promoting industrial development. By comparing international practices, this study examines Japan's approach to promoting fuel cell vehicles and constructing hydrogen refueling stations. In the early stages of the large-scale promotion of fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen refueling stations in Japan, the government initially guided the construction of hydrogen refueling stations after the fuel cell vehicles were ready for promotion. This process exhibited a dynamic of mutual promotion or mutual constraints between vehicles and stations at different stages of development. Once the marketization phase began, demand became the key driving force, with vehicles and stations promoting each other. However, focusing solely on increasing the number of vehicles or stations, without considering the actual service capacity of hydrogen refueling stations, made it difficult to support scale development when coordination between vehicles and stations was insufficient. Furthermore, in the construction of hydrogen refueling stations, the construction of alliance organizations that are more focused on addressing the challenges of industrial development helped reduce cost and enhance the overall economy from the perspective of the whole industrial chain, thereby facilitating the wide application of fuel cell vehicles. Therefore, in promoting the demonstration of fuel cell vehicles, China should fully leverage the international best practices and the role of industry organizations to accelerate the promotion of fuel cell vehicles based on a reasonable matching scheme between fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen refueling stations.

Key words: hydrogen refueling stations, fuel cell vehicles, service capacity, alliance organization, mode of operation