Automakers have long gushed about the advantages of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles– no emissions, no fossil fuels, none of the range anxiety associated with electric cars. But the hang-up has always been the lack of hydrogen fueling stations.
Without a convenient hydrogen infrastructure, no one would buy a fuel cell car. But until there is sufficient demand for fuel cell vehicles, there’s no point in building hydrogen stations. It’s a classic chicken-and-egg dilemma.
Toyota Motor hopes to simultaneously solve both issues with the introduction of the hydrogen-powered Mirai, a four-door sedan that refuels in about five minutes and travels 300 miles between fill-ups. To kick start public acceptance of fuel cells, the Japanese carmaker is subsidizing the construction of hydrogen stations in California and the Northeast, and paying early buyers’ cost for refueling.
The Mirai will debut next fall in California, which Toyota’s Group Vice President for Strategic Planning Chris Hostetter said “is beginning to look like the global epicenter for the hydrogen movement.” It’ll be priced at $57,500 or $499 a month for a 36-month lease.With a federal tax credit of up to $8,000 and a state rebate of $5,000, the net price could fall to below $45,000, Toyota says.
