Editorial Policy
This page explains exactly how Hydrogen-SUV.com researches, writes, reviews, scores, updates, and corrects its content — and how we keep editorial decisions separate from advertising and affiliate revenue.
Editorial Mission
Our mission is to drive the transition to a zero-emission future by giving readers clear, accurate, independently-verified information about hydrogen fuel-cell SUVs — their real range, real cost, real availability, and real trade-offs against EVs and gas vehicles.
We exist because most coverage of this category is either a manufacturer press release rewritten as a review, or a forum thread full of unverified anecdotes. Our editorial standard is to be neither.
Who Creates Our Content
Every article on this site is written or edited by a named member of our editorial team — never an anonymous or unattributed account. See our full Our Team page for complete profiles.
Richard V. Cheever
Leads overall coverage strategy and specialist analysis.
Ashley J. Thomas
Writes and structures our full vehicle reviews.
Amber W. Fridley
Covers and fact-checks industry news and updates.
Cindy M. Rivera
Builds spec-for-spec comparison content.
Nicole B. Foote, our Technology Editor, covers fuel-cell engineering and emerging hydrogen storage technology.
Editorial Independence
Our writers and editors make editorial decisions independently of our advertising and affiliate relationships. Here’s exactly where that line sits:
| We do | We don’t |
|---|---|
| Choose which vehicles to review based on reader interest and market relevance | Accept payment in exchange for a positive review or score |
| Disclose every affiliate link and sponsored post, clearly and near the content | Let an advertiser preview or approve an article before publishing |
| Score every vehicle against the same fixed criteria (see Scoring Criteria below) | Adjust a score because of an affiliate or advertising relationship |
| Publish corrections openly when we get something wrong | Quietly edit a published claim without a visible correction note |
| Keep our advertising sales function separate from our editorial team | Allow advertisers to dictate editorial topics or coverage |
Our 6-Step Content Process
Every published article — review, comparison, or news piece — goes through the same six stages.
Topic selection
Topics are chosen based on reader questions, search demand, and genuine market relevance — not advertiser requests.
Primary research
We pull specs and claims from manufacturer data, DOE resources, and, where possible, direct manufacturer contact.
Drafting
Our writer drafts the piece with inline source notes for every factual claim.
Fact-check
A second team member independently verifies every number, spec, and price before it goes further.
Editorial review
A senior editor checks tone, balance, and that any affiliate links are properly disclosed.
Publish & monitor
Once live, the article enters our update cycle (see Content Update Policy) for ongoing accuracy checks.
Research Standards
Primary sources first
Specs, range, pricing, and safety data are sourced directly from manufacturer specifications, U.S. Department of Energy resources, and EPA fuel economy data wherever available — not secondhand from other blogs or forums.
U.S. market verification
Because our audience is U.S.-based, every price, tax credit, and availability claim is verified against U.S.-market data specifically — international spec sheets and pricing are not used interchangeably with U.S. figures.
No AI-only content policy
AI tools may assist our team with research organization or early drafting, but no article is published without being written, fact-checked, and approved by a named human editor. We do not publish unedited AI-generated content, and we do not use AI to fabricate quotes, statistics, or claims of firsthand experience.
Product Review Methodology
Our reviews are built from a combination of manufacturer-provided data, publicly available safety and reliability records, and — where our team has direct access — hands-on time with the vehicle.
Where a review is based on manufacturer data and third-party testing rather than our own hands-on drive, we say so explicitly in the article rather than implying firsthand experience we don’t have. Where our team has driven or tested a vehicle directly, we note that clearly as well, including approximate mileage/time spent with the vehicle.
Scoring Criteria
Every vehicle we review is scored against the same six weighted criteria — the weighting itself is fixed and does not change per review.
Weights total 100%. These weights are fixed across all reviews and are not adjusted per vehicle or advertiser.
Affiliate & Advertising Policy
Hydrogen-SUV.com participates in the Amazon Associates program and displays advertising through Google AdSense and/or Ezoic. Full details are in our Affiliate Disclosure and Privacy Policy pages.
Commission separation: the writers and editors who research, score, and write our content have no visibility into which specific links generate commission revenue, and receive no bonus or incentive tied to affiliate performance. Advertising sales and editorial content are handled by separate functions, and advertisers have no ability to review, approve, or influence articles before publication.
Content Update Policy
Vehicle specs, pricing, and incentive information change. We review published reviews and comparisons on the following cadence:
- Pricing & incentives: checked monthly
- Vehicle specs (range, features): checked at each model-year update or manufacturer announcement
- Full review refresh: at least once per model year
Every article displays a visible “last updated” date. If a figure changes materially, we update the article and note the change (see Corrections Policy below).
Corrections Policy
When something we’ve published is wrong, here’s exactly what happens:
Report
Reader or team member flags a specific error via our Contact page.
Verify
An editor independently checks the claim against primary sources.
Correct
The article is updated, and a visible correction note with the date is added.
Confirm
Whoever reported the error is notified once the correction is live, if contact info was provided.
Sponsored Content Rules
- Any post that is directly paid for or provided by a manufacturer/advertiser is labeled “Sponsored” at the very top of the article, above the headline.
- Sponsored posts are still written or edited by our editorial team and are held to the same accuracy standard as any other article.
- We do not accept payment in exchange for a specific score, rating, or guaranteed positive conclusion.
- Sponsored status is disclosed regardless of whether the post also contains affiliate links.
Editorial Contact
Questions, corrections, or feedback
To report an error, ask about our methodology, or discuss editorial standards, contact our team directly:
Email: [email protected]
Or visit our Contact page. See also our Affiliate Disclosure, Privacy Policy, and Disclaimer.