While the use of electric vehicles to transport passengers is quite well-established, it has been emerging in the transport of dangerous goods only recently. One of the first electric vehicles for the carriage of dangerous goods that entered into service was in The Netherlands in 2017 (albeit with a tank capacity lower than 1 m3), and was used to deliver petrol and diesel fuel to motor vehicles.
In 2023, the UNECE Working Party on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (WP.15) revamped the Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR) to first allow the use of battery electric vehicles in category AT to transport non-flammable dangerous goods in fixed tanks or demountable tanks as these goods pose lower fire risks.
The 2025 edition of ADR, which is applicable as of 1 January 2025, now also contains new, expanded provisions that allow the use of battery electric vehicles of category FL (i.e. intended for the carriage of flammable gases and liquids). Furthermore, these new provisions allow the use of hydrogen-powered vehicles of category AT and FL to transport dangerous goods.
The use of electric vehicles for the transport of dangerous goods requires provisions to mitigate dangers from the electric drive to the dangerous goods that are being carried, in particular the electric safety of the high voltage system, fire risks in the battery system, and safety in hazardous areas, some of which had been addressed in pre-existing UNECE crash safety regulations No. 94 and No. 100.
To make electric drive more usable and possibly applicable to heavy goods vehicles, alternatives for electrical energy from batteries were developed, including fuel cells in which hydrogen is oxidized while delivering electrical energy. As these alternatives appeared on the market, the Working Party examined the risks before they would be applied for the carriage of dangerous goods. Yet, as recently as 2023 vehicles powered by hydrogen could not be used for this purpose.
Today, hydrogen is increasingly seen as a viable alternative to fossil fuels in transportation, and potentially crucial to achieving net-zero energy goals in the transport sector. Whereas the percentage of sales of vehicles powered by alternative fuels, including hydrogen, represents only a fraction of sales in Europe (1% or less of total registered vehicles are hydrogen powered), a recent global assessment reveals that South Korea and the United States are leading in the adoption of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
In that respect, the new UNECE provisions will ensure the safe use of hydrogen powered vehicles for the transport of dangerous, non-explosive goods. By extension, the new provisions are also helping the clean energy transition in the transport sector by contributing to the development of infrastructure, especially electric charging and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure.
The UNECE Working Party on the Transport of Dangerous Goods is currently exploring the possibility to allow battery electric vehicles and hydrogen powered vehicles to transport explosives.
Note to editors
UNECE regulates the transport of dangerous goods through two main frameworks: ADR (Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road) and the Model Regulations annexed to the Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods. These regulations cover the classification, listing, packaging, labelling and documentation for the safe transport of dangerous goods by road and other modes of transport.
ADR applies worldwide and has 54 contracting Parties.
The recommendations addressing the safe transport of dangerous goods developed under the auspices of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Committee of Experts are taken into account by the UNECE bodies dealing with land transport, to ensure harmonization of provisions through all modes. At UNECE level, this work is under the responsibility of the UNECE Working Party on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (WP.15), which initiates and pursues actions aimed at enhancing the safety and security of the inland transport of dangerous goods and protecting the environment during such transport. More information is available here.