Today, when a driver fills his or her fuel cell vehicle, she enters a unique PIN into the dispenser. The PIN identifies the driver as trained and authorized to fuel at the station. Within a year, we expect that stations will begin selling hydrogen as a retail fuel and the PIN system will be retired. CaFCP’s members are developing a system to automatically authenticate a vehicle at the dispenser instead of authenticating the driver.

The vehicle authorization system uses a secure RFID or IrDA tag on the fuel cell vehicle, an RFID or IrDA antenna on the nozzle, and a reader in the dispenser. An automaker scans and places the tag on the vehicle. Tag data is uploaded to a central database which stores the vehicle VIN, make, and model.

Authorization starts when the driver locks the fueling nozzle on to the vehicle’s receptacle. It verifies the vehicle as “approved,” and dispenses hydrogen using the proper protocol for that vehicle. The system assures a safe, fast fill for every authorized vehicle.

Vehicle authorization isn’t a new idea. In Canada, for example, an authorization system identifies CNG vehicles to CNGCompressed Natural Gas stations. Several companies sell after-market kits to convert gasoline powered vehicles to run on CNG. The authorization system prevents a converted vehicle from filling at the station until the vehicle has been inspected and deemed safe. The system also prevents vehicles with expired fuel tanks from filling. We anticipate that as the hydrogen market grows, companies may similarly introduce hydrogen conversion kits. Like the CNG system, the hydrogen system will ensure conversions pass safety inspection before fueling.

The hydrogen authorization system is preparing for its first real-world test. One Los Angeles-area station has the reader and antennas installed and a handful of vehicles are being outfitted with the tags. From this test, CaFCP member engineers will understand how the system performs, gauge the reliability of the tags, and test a customer service system. CaFCP will share resulting data with standards setting organizations with the goal of creating an open, shared system that all automakers and fuel dispensers can use.