Assessing the social acceptance of hydrogen for transportation in Spain: An unintentional focus on target population for a potential hydrogen economy

The assessment of public perception and social acceptance of hydrogen energy systems is crucial to avoid reluctance to the deployment of hydrogen technology and infrastructure. However, the number of regional studies evaluating these aspects is scarce. This work aims at assessing the attitude of the Spanish society towards the potential role of hydrogen for transportation. A quantitative approach was followed through the design and open electronic distribution of a survey with 12 closed-ended questions. The final size of the sample involved 1005 respondents. The analysis of the responses provided relevant information under three main aspects: perception of the concept "hydrogen"; supporting attitude towards the implementation of hydrogen technologies and infrastructure; and determining factors for the purchase of a hydrogen vehicle. Overall, the respondents are willing to accept hydrogen as a key energy carrier within the energy and transport sector. Nevertheless, further policy, industry and research efforts are required in order to overcome current obstacles hampering the success of hydrogen. The results of this study may be relevant not only to hydrogen stakeholders and decision-makers in Spain but also to counterparts in other regions without strong initiatives towards a well-established hydrogen economy. Copyright (C) 2016, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.