San Juan, Puerto Rico – Former House Speaker José Aponte announced today that he will be introducing a resolution in the upcoming legislative assembly to explore the feasibility of promoting hydrogen-powered vehicle sales in Puerto Rico.

"The sale of hydrogen-powered vehicles has seen a surge in popularity in recent years. Our goal is to investigate the viability of promoting the sale of these vehicles in Puerto Rico. To do this, we must study the market, the existing infrastructure and what needs to be created to support these units, as well as compare them to electric vehicles and consumer availability, among other aspects," Aponte stated.

Hydrogen vehicles are powered by an electric motor that uses a hydrogen battery. These vehicles offer significant advantages over electric vehicles, including a longer range of up to 600 miles on a single tank and faster refueling times of just 5 minutes, compared to up to 35 minutes for electric vehicles.

"The market for hydrogen vehicles is unique. In the continental United States, it has been declining due to the limited number of manufacturers and models available. Additionally, the lack of charging infrastructure is another factor. However, in Europe and Japan, sales increased by 18% and 55%, respectively, during the second quarter of 2024. We aim to assess the possibility of selling these vehicles in significant numbers on the island," the former leader added.

As of November 20, approximately 18,740 hydrogen vehicles had been sold in the United States in 2024.

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]