Type Approval and Global Market Access for Your Hydrogen Vehicles, Systems and Components

Due to important issues such as climate change, local emissions and security of supply, there is a call to get away from fossil fuels in all industrial sectors, which also affects the mobility industry.
In this context, hydrogen has enormous potential due to its excellent properties as a storage medium.

With increasing electrification, efficient batteries will remain as an emission-free key solution. However, alongside battery electric vehicles (BEV), the more user-friendly fuel cell technology is also assigned a key role in an exhaust free mobility ecosystem.

The EU and other legislative entities are introducing increasingly strict rules aiming to reduce carbon emissions. According to the recent EU policy named “EU Green Deal”, only approvals of zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) are allowed from 2035 on, with further ambitious targets in between. UK, Japan, California and other states aim for similar targets. This means that manufacturers need to fulfill specific requirements, before gaining market access.

Our TÜV SÜD experts support you to get your hydrogen vehicles on the road. 

Why is the type approval for hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV), systems and components important?

Hydrogen propulsions are considered as key technologies for achieving climate goals. Vehicles emitting zero or virtually zero harmful tank-to-wheel emissions, are categorised as Zero and Low Emission Vehicles (ZLEV). Their numbers are expected to increase in the next few years. Hydrogen vehicles will only contribute to lowering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, if they are proven to be safe and reliable. Therefore, it is important to achieve a safe market launch in compliance with regulatory requirements.

What benefits can you gain when your hydrogen vehicles and their systems and components are successfully approved?

Our TÜV SÜD homologation experts support you in passing the type approval process for your hydrogen vehicles. We help you along the entire development process, starting during the concept phase to reach the type approval for your FCEV, components and systems, and to ensure its safety over the product lifetime. With us as your partner you receive the following benefits:

• Gain legal permission to access global markets with your hydrogen vehicles
• Get expert know-how on the regulatory landscape relevant for your hydrogen technologies
• Ensure your product liability and due diligence to increase trust in your hydrogen vehicles, components and systems
• Demonstrate compliance with all relevant regulations and further safety requirements to avoid penalties and recalls
• Boost your brand reputation by demonstrating the highest safety standards of your hydrogen mobility products and solutions

How level of detail and degree of obligation interact in approval for hydrogen vehicles

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We support you in achieving successful type approval for your hydrogen vehicles, systems, and components

As your independent third-party service provider, TÜV SÜD supports its customers along the entire hydrogen vehicle product certification and type approval process. We assist you in identifying the relevant regulations and norms for your products and targeted markets and compose optimised test programs.

Moreover, we perform the required certification and approval tests on material, component, and system levels in our test laboratories, and take care of paperwork and formal requirements with the respective authorities.

With expertise and efficient ways of working, our customers achieve their certification and type approval goals through a streamlined process at the highest quality.

TÜV SÜD's type approval services for hydrogen vehicles, systems and components

We offer the following hydrogen vehicle type approval services and type tests for FCEV:

• International and national type approval of hydrogen-powered vehicles, e.g. EU type approval according to (EU) 2018/858
• Individual approval, according to (EU) 2018/858, Article 44/45
• Further types of (national) approvals, such as vehicle modification approval, test vehicle approval or exceptional approval
• Witness testing for approval and test/approval reports for the authorities
• Approval/Certification of H2-relevant components and systems (e.g. H2 storage systems – CGH2 & LH2)
• Guided assessment at an early development stage
• Proprietary TÜV SÜD Test Mark and auditing for non-regulated H2-components (e.g. fuel cells or non-R134 components)
• Global market access services, e.g. roadmaps of the legal requirements, regulation research for global markets or H2-specific workshops
• Functional safety assessment e.g. according to ISO 26262 or IEC 61508
• Manufacturer initial assessment
• Conformity of Production (CoP), in service conformity, market surveillance
• H2-training for safe handling of H2 (Gas and H2 Drive Sensitization according to DGUV requirements), including TÜV SÜD certification

At TÜV SÜD we are offering hydrogen vehicle approval services along the entire value chain and product life cycle.

Contact us to learn more