Toyota is renewing its bet on hydrogen with a technology that could change everything…
While the hydrogen vehicle market is struggling to take off, Toyota isn’t giving up. Despite a sharp decline in Mirai sales, the Japanese brand continues to believe in this technology and is unveiling a third generation fuel cell that promises more range, better durability, and lower costs compared to lithium-ion battery electric cars.
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A more efficient and accessible battery technology
Toyota has focused on three major improvements with this new generation of hydrogen fuel cells: greater range, extended lifespan, and reduced production costs. According to the brand, energy efficiency has been increased by 20%, meaning that vehicles equipped with this technology could travel up to 480 miles on a full tank, compared to about 402 miles for the current Toyota Mirai, their hydrogen model. This breakthrough could make hydrogen a more credible alternative to battery electric vehicles, which are often criticized for their limited range on long trips. Another strong point of this new system is its increased robustness. Toyota claims that this fuel cell now has a durability comparable to diesel engines, while requiring less maintenance—an essential feature for fleets of commercial vehicles, buses, or even trains that need reliable and enduring solutions. Finally, the brand has worked on simplifying the manufacturing process, which should reduce the cost of hydrogen vehicles. If these promises are fulfilled, this technology could become much more accessible to the general public.
Hydrogen: A risky but necessary bet?
Despite these advances, hydrogen vehicle sales remain very low. In 2024, Toyota sold only 1,778 Mirai units worldwide, a drop of nearly 56% compared to the previous year. This figure highlights the many challenges facing the hydrogen sector. The main hurdle is the lack of infrastructure. Unlike electric vehicles, which can be charged from a standard home outlet, hydrogen cars require specific stations, which are still very rare outside Japan, South Korea, and California. However, Toyota is not limiting this technology to passenger cars. The company is also developing industrial and commercial applications: trucks, buses, trains, and even stationary generators. For these sectors, hydrogen represents a more viable solution, as it offers great range and fast refueling, where electric batteries still show limitations.
An uncertain future, but huge potential
Toyota plans to officially unveil this new hydrogen fuel cell at the International Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Expo in Tokyo. The first vehicles and equipment equipped with this technology could appear as early as 2026 in Japan, Europe, North America, and China. While the widespread adoption of hydrogen remains a challenge, technological advances and falling costs could gradually allow it to find a place alongside battery electric vehicles. It remains to be seen if governments and industry will follow Toyota in this vision of a more diverse propulsion future, with that famous hydrogen car that was invented in 1807.
This article explores Toyota’s continued commitment to hydrogen despite low sales and a limited market. With a third-generation fuel cell that is more efficient, more durable, and cheaper to produce, the Japanese brand hopes to make this technology more viable for vehicles and industrial applications.
Images: © Toyota
