The US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to update electrical safety requirements for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and mild hybrid vehicles.

GTR Nº 13, “Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles,” addresses hydrogen fuel cell vehicle technology. NHTSA closely collaborated with experts from contracting parties to the 1998 Agreement, particularly Germany and Japan, to develop a GTR for hydrogen-fueled vehicles that would establish levels of safety that are equivalent to or exceeds those for conventional gasoline-fueled vehicles. The collaborative effort in this process led to the establishment of GTR Nº 13 in June 2013.

NHTSA said that the effect of the proposal would be to enable wider use of hydrogen fuel cell and mild hybrid vehicles. Toyota Motor North America and the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers had submitted separate petitions for rulemaking seeking to update the standard to enable innovative powertrain systems.