TOKYO – The development of electric battery powered vehicles was a gamechanger for the industry and signified the first big shift since the introduction of fossil fuel powered vehicles all those years back. The current downside to electric vehicle, is of course, charging times as well as infrastructure to support charging stations. Japanese automaker, Toyota, has decided to switch lanes on the road to sustainability by investing research and funds into the development of a hydrogen powered system. This model has great potential in terms of environmental sustainability and user-friendliness but are the initial roll outs proving to be a success?
The hydrogen fuel cell system by Toyota
Last year, the vehicle manufacturer saw the sale of 1,778 of its hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), across the globe. These numbers were not as high as the automaker had hoped and in addition to this, the company recorded a 55.8% drop in sales for the year of 2024, as compared to the previous year.
The automaker is not letting these figures deter its desire to perfect the concept of hydrogen propulsion, however, and the company is going forward with its development of hydrogen powertrains, full steam ahead. The third generation fuel cell system was recently revealed by the company and forms part of its “continued efforts toward the realization of a hydrogen society.”
The Japanese automaker has shared that its latest fuel cell system boasts two times more durability than previous iterations, whilst also being smaller, and lighter. This third gen FC system — which is set to be officially unveiled in 2026 — also has increased dependability and efficiency when put up against its predecessors. The newly included benefit of a maintenance-free design makes the FC system show a level of dependability that is comparable to diesel engines.
There is also the matter of fuel efficiency which appears to be improved with the latest design and Toyota has made the claim that vehicles sporting the new system are now able to drive 20% further than previous records. With a full tank, the new fuel cell could, in theory, drive up to 480 miles. For reference, a previous iteration of this system, the “Toyota Mirai FCEV has a manufacturer-estimated maximum driving range of 402 miles, if you can find a filling station.”
As a result of ongoing innovations in the fields of cell design and manufacturing processes, the vehicle giant claims that manufacturing the third gen fuel cell system is now cheaper than before. Thanks to cheaper manufacturing costs, vehicles equip with the latest fuel cell systems will enter the market at lower starting prices making it more accessible to consumers.
Will the company push forward with this endeavor or are low sales slowing them down?
Despite the low rate of sales recorded for the passenger fuel cell electric vehicles last year, Toyota is remaining steadfast in its commitment to implementing hydrogen as an alternate energy source. The automaker already has applications of hydrogen energy in plenty of facets of the commercial world.
Construction equipment, locomotives of trains, big rigs, and stationary generators all form part of the list of machines that Toyota’s fuel cell system powers.
One of the major setbacks preventing this hydrogen based system from rolling out on a larger scale is a lack of infrastructure. FCEVs cannot be rolled out to the public in the form of vehicles just yet as there is nowhere for drivers of theses vehicles to refuel (yet).
Despite this deficiency of hydrogen based fueling stations, hydrogen is proving to be the go-to solution for work sites that cannot accommodate traditional EVs or combustion engines. The best part? The fumes emitted from hydrogen fuel cell machines are not harmful in the slightest, making it the superior option for sensitive environments.
This story was published in Eldiario
