Toyota’s hydrogen fuel cell EV sales soar

The hydrogen fuel cell electric Toyota Mirai has surpassed 3000 sales in California.

It’s one of the first mass-produced EVs of its type and now comprises more than 80% of all hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in the United States, The Car Guide reports.

The zero emission mid-size sedan with a range up to about 500km has a refuelling time of nearly five minutes.

The Mirai creates electricity using hydrogen, oxygen and a fuel cell, and emits only water vapour.

Toyota is supporting the development of a hydrogen refuelling network, with 31 retail hydrogen stations now open in California. A further 12 are expected to open there this year.

The automaker is partnering with FirstElement Fuels and Shell to support establishing a broad network of hydrogen infrastructure in that state. Toyota is also collaborating with industrial gas producer Air Liquide to set up a network of 12 hydrogen fuelling stations from New York to Boston, with the first station expected in Boston later this year.

Toyota is building a new Tri-Gen facility at the Port of Long Beach to use bio-waste from California’s agricultural industry to generate water, electricity and hydrogen. The hydrogen will fuel all Toyota fuel cell vehicles passing through the port, including new deliveries of the Mirai sedan and Toyota’s heavy-duty hydrogen fuel cell class 8 truck, dubbed Project Portal.

The company has also established a range of partnerships with private and public organisations and academic institutions to further its vision of a hydrogen future.