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The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has identified hydrogen energy as an integral part of the energy agenda, with broad applications across various sectors. In the transportation sector, hydrogen energy plays a prominent role in carbon reduction, highlighting the significance of fuel cell vehicles in transforming renewable energy and transportation. Specific countries and major automotive manufacturers have actively positioned themselves in this emerging industry and have successively introduced hydrogen-powered vehicles as the rising stars of the new energy vehicle market. These vehicles offer faster refueling speeds and longer driving ranges compared to electric vehicles, positioning them as a potential future trend in transportation. Energy transition has been a widely advocated policy globally. The National Development Council of Taiwan, in its "Twelve Key Strategies" report published on March 30, 2022, emphasized the important role of hydrogen energy in Taiwan's path towards achieving net-zero emissions. In support of this, the Ministry of Economic Affairs has established a "Hydrogen Promotion Task Force" to collaborate with public agencies and state-owned enterprises, jointly planning and promoting initiatives. The demonstration of hydrogen-powered vehicles is one of the short-term priority projects. The objective of this study is to understand the emergence of hydrogen-powered vehicles and their impact on related industries in Taiwan, including hydrogen energy storage and transportation, hydrogen fuel cells, lithium batteries, and the solar energy industry concept stocks. Using an event study approach with data from the Taiwan Economic Journal (TEJ), the research verifies the abnormal returns of sampled companies in response to the introduction of hydrogen-powered vehicles. The study found positive abnormal returns in the hydrogen energy storage and transportation, hydrogen fuel cells, and solar energy industry concept stocks upon the emergence of hydrogen-powered vehicles. However, the introduction of hydrogen-powered vehicles did not lead to negative abnormal returns for lithium battery concept stocks. Both sectors can hold advantages in specific niche markets, and there are supporters in each consumer market, indicating that the impact is not solely focused on a single market. The findings of this study provide recommendations for enterprises interested in developing and promoting hydrogen-powered vehicles. It is suggested that continuous promotion, research, and expansion of utilization should be pursued through the formation of enterprise alliances. However, the market deployment of hydrogen-powered vehicles still requires time to catalyze the market. Investors should carefully evaluate the current status of hydrogen-powered vehicle initiatives and make appropriate investment decisions. |