More and more, people are concerned with the environment, in particular how vehicle emissions impact on it. One of the solutions being considered is the utilization of Zero Emissions Vehicles (ZEVs), such as the fuel cell powered electric vehicle (FCEV). To power these vehicles, several different fuels are available to choose from, such as methanol, diesel, gasoline, natural gas, hydrogen (gaseous or liquid) and other alternative fuels. This variety of fuels creates major hurdles for the implementation of the infrastructure to support these vehicles. Adding to the problem, no fuel has yet been selected as the fuel of choice. It is a well known fact that proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells need hydrogen, which can be generated onboard the vehicle from other fuels. The establishment of a safe, reliable, and affordable infrastructure for direct hydrogen refueling was discussed by the author, along with the difficulties to be resolved and the required approaches. Some of the challenges are: (1) the development and/or modification of standards, codes and regulations for hydrogen use as an automotive fuel, (2) the standardization of the mechanical interface and communications protocol, (3) the development and validation of hardware for robustness and compatibility, and (4) the adoption of a strategy providing more affordable equipment. refs., tabs. figs.