HVSI – The Hydrogen Vehicle Safety Index: Establishing a Global Safety Benchmark for Hydrogen Mobility

HVSI – The Hydrogen Vehicle Safety Index: Establishing a Global Safety Benchmark for Hydrogen Mobility

December 25 2025

As the global transport sector accelerates toward low- and zero-emission solutions, hydrogen-powered vehicles are emerging as a critical pillar of future clean mobility. Alongside this promise, however, come unique safety challenges related to hydrogen storage, leak control, thermal behavior, and system response under real-world crash conditions. Addressing this gap is the core mission of the Hydrogen Vehicle Safety Index (HVSI).

Developed by Dr. Sandip P. Dhurat, an inventor and clean energy technologist, HVSI is widely regarded as the world’s first safety standard dedicated exclusively to hydrogen-powered vehicles. Unlike existing vehicle safety assessment systems, which focus primarily on structural integrity and occupant protection, HVSI directly evaluates the safety architecture of hydrogen fuel systems themselves.

A purpose-built safety framework for hydrogen vehicles

While organizations such as NCAP have significantly advanced vehicle safety worldwide, there is currently no comprehensive framework that systematically and quantitatively assesses risks associated with high-pressure hydrogen tanks, leak detection systems, thermal events, or fuel system isolation during collisions.

HVSI addresses this critical need by evaluating hydrogen vehicles across five core safety dimensions:

1. Hydrogen containment integrity

2. Leak detection and management capability

3. Thermal stability and response to abnormal heat events

4. Crash resilience and fuel system isolation

5. Environmental and secondary safety impact

By integrating laboratory testing, real-time data analytics, and structured evaluation methodologies, HVSI produces a quantifiable Hydrogen Safety Index, presented through a transparent and comparable five-star rating system. This enables regulators, manufacturers, insurers, and consumers to clearly assess and compare hydrogen vehicle safety performance.

From innovation to a global safety ecosystem

HVSI builds upon Dr. Dhurat’s earlier hydrogen innovations, including the H2SafeCell hydrogen storage system and the HydroX hydrogen-powered vehicle, forming part of a broader, safety-first approach to hydrogen mobility. His work emphasizes that public acceptance of hydrogen technologies depends fundamentally on trust, transparency, and demonstrable safety.

With 21 patents filed at the UKIPO and 30 published books, Dr. Dhurat has been awarded the Honorary Doctor of Letters (D.Litt) by Dunster Business School, Switzerland, in recognition of his contributions to sustainable innovation, hydrogen technology, and inclusion-driven research.

Policy relevance and global market potential

Beyond its technical and humanitarian value, HVSI represents a scalable global opportunity. The framework is designed to function as:

• A certification and safety rating system for hydrogen vehicles

• A reference tool for licensing, insurance, and compliance

• A policy benchmark for regulators and governments

• A trust-building mechanism for public adoption of hydrogen mobility

As more countries roll out national hydrogen strategies, HVSI has the potential to evolve into an internationally recognized safety benchmark, ensuring that the transition to clean transport is both sustainable and safe.