FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Kalibrate has released the results of its California hydrogen refueling infrastructure analysis to the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Because the availability and proper placement of retail hydrogen fueling outlets is critical to successful market adoption of fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) by consumers, Kalibrate employed its fuels network planning expertise to identify the best locations for establishing a network of stations.
It identified more than 30,000 locations within the state of California and then ranked them from best to worst based on viability for introducing a hydrogen refueling station. Kalibrate collaborated with NREL hydrogen experts to identify the key drivers for ranking the locations. Initially, they identified 22 variables. Through statistical analysis, they reduced the 22 variables to 11 that they found were the most important.
At the top of the list were the number of households with annual income of more than $100,000, the number of existing gas stations within the trade area and the projected number of FCEV purchases. The existing gas stations are important to the infrastructure development as they offer a more economical means to introduce hydrogen refueling than a standalone, ground-up facility.
As of April, there were 11 existing hydrogen refueling stations in California with plans underway for 38 more stations. Kalibrate’s study recommends the best locations to fill in the gaps that the existing and planned station network did not cover.
“One of the seven elements of a petroleum retailer’s success is market intelligence, which includes an in-depth understanding of the competitive environment beyond traditional fuels,” said Bob Stein, president and CEO of Kalibrate. “Alternative fuels are rapidly evolving, and today’s retailers need to keep track of this growing market segment to determine if it will threaten their existing business or offer a new commercial opportunity.”
Kalibrate has headquarters in Manchester, U.K., and Florham Park, N.J.
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