A Strategy for the Hydrogen Transition

The paper argues that the transition to a hydrogen economy can be accelerated by first deploying fuel cells in buildings for co-generation and then in 'Hypercars'—ultralight-hybrid vehicles that require significantly less fuel-cell capacity. This approach allows for a decentralized hydrogen infrastructure using existing natural gas and electricity grids, eventually scaling up to bulk supply from renewable sources or carbon-sequestering natural gas reforming.

• The adoption of 'Hypercars'—ultralight-hybrid vehicles using advanced polymer composites—could reduce curb mass by 2–3-fold and increase overall vehicle efficiency by 4–8-fold. This efficiency reduces the required fuel-cell capacity to approximately 25–50 kWe, making fuel cells competitive at a higher price point (around $100/kWe) and enabling the use of compact onboard compressed gaseous hydrogen tanks, which eliminates the need for onboard liquid-fuel reformers.
• Fuel cells can be commercialized more rapidly by first targeting the building sector, where they can provide electricity, heating, and cooling (co- or trigeneration). This market is vast because buildings use two-thirds of U.S. electricity. Initial deployment in buildings, particularly in areas with congested electrical grids, can build the production volume necessary to drive fuel-cell costs down to the $100/kWe level required for vehicles.
• Fuel-cell vehicles can function as distributed power plants when parked, which occurs approximately 96 percent of the time. By plugging into the grid, these vehicles can sell electricity back during peak daytime hours, potentially generating enough revenue to repay a significant portion of their lease costs. In principle, the U.S. Hypercar fleet could provide over 3 TWe of generating capacity, potentially displacing most central thermal power stations.
• A decentralized hydrogen infrastructure can be established using existing natural gas pipelines and the electrical grid to power small, mass-produced 'hydrogen appliances' (electrolyzers or steam reformers) located in or near buildings. This 'build-as-you-need' approach avoids the multi-billion-dollar upfront cost of a centralized bulk-supply system and allows vehicles to fuel up at workplaces or street-corner stations.
• As the hydrogen market grows, bulk supply can be introduced through climatically benign methods. These include 'Hydro-Gen' plants, where hydroelectric dams use electricity to produce hydrogen for higher profits than selling electricity alone, and wellhead reforming of natural gas combined with CO2 reinjection for carbon sequestration and enhanced hydrocarbon recovery.

APA

Lovins, A. B., & Williams, B. D. (1999). A Strategy for the Hydrogen Transition. RMI. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_T99-07-A-Strategy-for-the-Hydrogen-Transition.pdf

Chicago

Lovins, Amory B., and Brett D. Williams. A Strategy for the Hydrogen Transition. RMI, 1999. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_T99-07-A-Strategy-for-the-Hydrogen-Transition.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Lovins |first1=Amory B. |last2=Williams |first2=Brett D. |title=A Strategy for the Hydrogen Transition |publisher=RMI |date=1999 |url=https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_T99-07-A-Strategy-for-the-Hydrogen-Transition.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lovins1999strategy, author = {Lovins, Amory B. and Williams, Brett D.}, title = {{A Strategy for the Hydrogen Transition}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {1999}, url = {https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_T99-07-A-Strategy-for-the-Hydrogen-Transition.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }