Is Japan’s future an Hydrogen Society??

Hydrogen Fuel Car (picture – ORNL)

Toyota’s plans to build a hydrogen-based society

“The Japanese automaker says it will sell 30,000 fuel cell vehicles by 2020 and use hydrogen at its factories to reach ambitious environmental targets.

While other automakers are investing more into electric vehicles as a means to reduce tailpipe emissions, Toyota is betting on hydrogen and hybrid cars.

The automaker sold more than 1.2 million hybrid vehicles in 2014 and expects to reach 8 million in worldwide cumulative hybrid vehicle sales by 2015.

Hydrogen cars are another matter. Toyota launched its first fuel cell vehicle, the Mirai, in late 2014. To reach its 30,000 annual sales goal by 2020 it will have to increase production volume tenfold from 2017. The car, which the EPA says has a 312-mile range, will debut in the U.S. market (just California) this fall. Even if customer demand for the fuel cell vehicle tops expectations, sales will likely remain sluggish until infrastructure problems are solved.

There are only 12 public hydrogen fuel stations in the United States, according to the Department of Energy. Ten of those are in California, making it the only feasible market in the U.S. for hydrogen cars.

In Japan, hydrogen cars have at least a fighting chance, thanks largely to a push by Toyota, Nissan, and Honda.

Toyota isn’t stopping with vehicles. The company wants to “foster a hydrogen-based society,” which means using hydrogen in cars, buses, and manufacturing. To do that, Toyota says it is making 5,680 fuel cell patents freely available and collaborating with other automakers to support the development of hydrogen infrastructure.

Toyota plans to use hydrogen and renewable energy such as wind power to cut emissions generated when manufacturing its cars.”   (Fortune)

Is Japan’s future an Hydrogen society?? 

What about Electric vs Hybrid vs Hydrogen fuel Cars?

Do you share Toyota’s vision? It is a brave and smart move!!

What do you think?

Read more from:

http://fortune.com/2015/10/14/toyota-hydrogen-goals/

“The Japanese government has joined forces with some of the country’s biggest manufacturers to push for what it’s calling a “hydrogen society,” in which everything from buses to cars to homes are powered by the plentiful, zero-emission fuel.

A big coming-out party for the hydrogen society is planned for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, when hydrogen-fueled buses will ferry athletes and fans around Olympic event sites. The government and companies including Toyota and Iwatani are working together to build a network of hydrogen fueling stations—there are around a dozen across the country already, with the goal of 35 up and running by 2020.”    (Fortune)

Read more from:

http://fortune.com/2015/10/21/japan-hydrogen-fuel/