Toyota doubles down on hydrogen in spite of EV

Toyota is not backing away from its bet on hydrogen in spite of finally getting an electric vehicle on the road in New Zealand.

That intention was conveyed by executives at the launch of its first EV, the Lexus UX300e, today.

TNZ chief executive Neeraj Lala confirmed multiple hydrogen projects that will come to life for the brand in the next year – including electric boats and cars.

The projects have never really been secret, but Lala confirmed they had now been cleared by Toyota HQ as distributors of Toyota fuel cells – essentially the units powering the Mirai hydrogen car – in New Zealand.

The initial project out of the move is the technology powering the new hydrogen-powered foiling chase boats to be used at the next America’s Cup. The boats are expected to do more than 50 knots.

Three Mirai are also set to join Auckland’s CityHop fleet – part owned by Toyota – for selected corporates to use.

The availability of the fuel cells here opens opportunity for the brand Lala says.

“What is does is give TNZ an opportunity to diversify our business,” he says. 

“Hydrogen chase boats is one thing, hydrogen car share is another, but what it does is allow us to become a fuel cell distributor. That opens the opportunities for hydrogen fuel cell bus assembly in New Zealand, hydrogen generators in NZ…”

“The fuel cell comes like a little battery pack and there are some clever people in New Zealand who know how to connect those pieces up,” he says.

Lala acknowledges that hydrogen is not likely to be a big player in the NZ light fleet soon – suggesting it does have a role in heavy transport.

“We are not obsessing about getting 1000 Mirai on the road, because it is going to be really hard.”