Despite the underwhelming performance of its Mirai fuel-cell car, Toyota is doubling down on hydrogen technology, now setting its sights on commercial trucks.
Hiroki Nakajima, Toyota’s chief technology officer, acknowledged at the Japan Mobility Show the challenges faced in rolling out hydrogen fueling stations, which have stunted Mirai’s market reach. “We have tried Mirai but not been successful,” Nakajima admitted. According to the US Department of Energy, there are just 55 hydrogen refueling stations in the entire US, all of which are in California.
Nakajima sees more promise in the commercial trucking sector when it comes to hydrogen. “For mid-size trucks, it’s easy to deliver [a refueling network] as it’s mainly A-to-B [for journeys],” he said. “Huge numbers of trucks go from A-to-B so you can operate stations with more stability.”
Despite the Mirai’s lackluster sales, Toyota isn’t abandoning hydrogen-powered passenger cars. The automaker is working on more compact hydrogen tanks and fuel cells for a wider range of models. New designs include flat or “saddle” tanks that would be similar in size and shape to electric-vehicle batteries, facilitating easier swaps in certain car models.
Related:
FCEV Sales, FCEB, & Hydrogen Station Data as of Oct. 25, 2023
Although Mirai sales have been modest, there’s been a recent uptick. Sales exceeded 2,000 units annually since 2021, and Toyota sold 2,604 Mirai sedans through September 2023—an 80% increase compared to the first nine months of 2022. The third quarter of 2023 also saw a record-breaking 966 new hydrogen fuel cell cars on California roads, a year-to-year increase of over 500%.
While Toyota faces challenges with hydrogen infrastructure for passenger cars, other automakers like Honda are also entering the fray fuel cell vehicles, showing that the industry still sees potential in hydrogen technology.
Read the most up to date Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Industry news at FuelCellsWorks
