. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/USA/68 
19 July 2004 
 (04-3086) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:  English 
   
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6. 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   UNITED STATES
 
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):         
2. Agency responsible:   Department of Transportation’ s National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration (NHTSA) (71) 
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site 
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be  indicated if different from above:         
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [ X], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:         
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in  addition, where applicable):   alternative motor vehicle 
fuels (HS Chapter 8703 ) (ICS 75.160 ). 
5. Title, number of pages and langua ge(s) of the notified document:   NHTSA's Four-Year 
Plan for Hydrogen, Fuel Cell and Alternative Fuel Vehicle Safety Research  
(2 Pages, English) 
6. Description of content:   This notice announces the availab ility of a planning document that 
describes the scope and timeline of NHTSA's proposed research program addressing safety 
and fuel economy assessment of hydrogen-powered fuel cell and internal combustion engine vehicles.  Ensuring that hydrogen inte rnal combustion engine (ICE) and fuel cell 
powered vehicles provide a level of safety comparable to that of other vehicles currently in use in the United States requires a substantial research effort.  Hydrogen-powered vehicles 
will utilize many advanced and unique technolog ies that have not been tested in the 
transportation environment.  Very little data are available concerning the safe performance of these vehicles because so few exist; they ar e typically prototypes handled by specially 
trained personnel.  Many manufacturers, howev er, are substantially investing in producing 
and marketing these vehicles in the near future .  As these vehicles are deployed into the 
fleet, the safety of hydrogen as a fuel and the saf ety of alternative fuel vehicles in crashes 
becomes an important issue for public safet y.  A failure to adequately address safety 
concerns in the earliest stages of devel opment could have a negative impact on the 
deployment of this new technology.  Corollary  efforts by NHTSA that are covered in the 
plan address fuel economy and international ha rmonization of global technical regulations 
for hydrogen vehicles.  The agency will anal yze the potential increases in the fleet fuel 
economy.  NHTSA will also work with its international counterparts to determine the 
content of regulations pertaining to fuel cell and ICE hydrogen vehicles. NHTSA seeks 
public review and comment on the planning document.  Comments received will be 
evaluated and incorporated, as appropria te, into planned agency activities. G/TBT/N/USA/68 
Page 2  
 
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:  
Protection of Human Life and Health. 
8. Relevant documents:   69 Federal Register (FR) 42126 14 July 2004; Title 49 Code of 
Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 571.  Will app ear in the Federal Register when adopted. 
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:   }To be determined 
10. Final date for comments:   12 October 2004 
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ X] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:        
Internet URLs: 
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/24 22/06jun20041800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/04-
15971.htm  
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/24 22/06jun20041800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/pdf/
04-15971.pdf