Although Denmark may be forced to reopen all hydrogen stations, and BMW has asked the Japanese for help with a car, Toyota now doubts the hydrogen car.
Toyota, the Japanese car giant that proclaimed the hydrogen car as the technology of the future 11 years ago, is now beginning to doubt its potential. Despite high expectations and ambitions, sales of hydrogen cars, such as the Toyota Mirai, have not lived up to expectations.
"I no longer see a bright future for hydrogen cars," Hiroki Nakajima, chief technology officer of Toyota Motor Corp., told the Financial Times .
Nakajima acknowledges the challenges facing the hydrogen car. Sales figures have been disappointing and the technology has not yet gained widespread acceptance.
Still, Toyota isn't giving up hope entirely.
– But if we give up on this technology, we risk giving up on the future, adds Nakajima.
Toyota maintains that hydrogen can play a role in reducing CO2 emissions from the transportation sector. However, the company appears to be downgrading expectations for the hydrogen car's role in this transition.
James Hong, chief analyst at investment bank Macquarie Capital, agrees with this assessment. He calls hydrogen passenger cars "a big flop" and questions the technology's applicability in passenger cars.
Despite the gloomy outlook for the hydrogen car, Toyota is continuing its collaboration with BMW on hydrogen technology. The two automakers announced a partnership in September that will focus on developing a new powertrain technology for hydrogen cars.
BMW expects to mass-produce hydrogen cars in 2028 and still sees potential in the technology.
"Powered by hydrogen and driven by the spirit of our collaboration, it will underline how technological advances are shaping the mobility of the future. And it will usher in an era of innovation," said BMW Group CEO Oliver Zipse in connection with the announcement of the collaboration with the Japanese.
BMW and Toyota both emphasize the importance of establishing the necessary infrastructure to support hydrogen mobility. The two companies will work together to create demand for hydrogen vehicles and promote the development of hydrogen technology.
Whether the hydrogen car will ever be successful remains to be seen. Toyota's doubts are a sign that the road to a hydrogen-powered future is longer and more challenging than initially thought.
The fact that Toyota is now wavering has not caused BMW to react. The Germans still plan to mass-produce hydrogen cars in 2028. Read more about it here .
