Toyota Motor is shifting more of its hydrogen fuel cell focus to commercial vehicles, as the technology continues to see limited uptake among private motorists, Nikkei Asia has reported.
Fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) were once positioned as part of the next wave of lower-emission transport, alongside battery electric vehicles.
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Their slow progress in the mainstream market has left Toyota looking for other applications for its fuel cell work.
Mitsumasa Yamagata, president of Toyota’s Hydrogen Factory, restated the company’s stance at a presentation this month.
“I truly believe now is the time to accelerate our hydrogen initiatives together with partners. Let’s change the future with hydrogen,” the publication quoted Yamagata as saying.
Yamagata said Toyota and the Japanese government are working on a model to introduce hydrogen-powered trucks “in a planned and large-scale manner.”
The approach includes installing larger hydrogen stations along highway corridors linking eastern and western Japan. The goal is to support fuel cell trucks and keep hydrogen prices stable over the long term.
Yamagata also said hydrogen pricing is currently close to diesel.
Hydrogen infrastructure plans are also advancing elsewhere. The European Union is aiming for hydrogen refuelling stations at least every 200km on major highways by 2031, and China has a similar plan.
Toyota, which has local partners in these regions, has been developing higher-performance fuel cell trucks and running test operations.
In Japan, Toyota and the Tokyo Metropolitan government have launched a fuel cell taxi project. It targets 600 fuel cell-powered Crown sedans by the fiscal year ending March 2031.
Yamagata said the taxis could create “a cluster of demand” for hydrogen.
Toyota launched the Mirai in December 2014 and introduced a new generation in 2020. It later added a fuel cell model to its Crown sedan line.
The company’s “multipathway” policy backs multiple routes to carbon neutrality, including battery EVs and internal combustion engines.
Hybrids have been a major profit driver, while Toyota has continued developing other technologies, including FCVs.
Rival automaker Hyundai Kia is also pursuing hydrogen, aiming to expand sales of the NEXO passenger FCV and fuel cell commercial vehicles, mainly in South Korea.
Toyota sold 1,200 FCVs last year, while Hyundai-Kia sold 5,690 fuel cell passenger vehicles.
Infrastructure constraints have been a recurring issue for hydrogen adoption. Yamagata said, “An environment where hydrogen is easy to use is taking shape not only for passenger car drivers but also for truck drivers.”
“We want to make steady progress together with partners,” he said.
