Feb 13 2015

Hydrogen is the buzzword of the moment after Toyota Motor Corp. in December started selling its Mirai fuel-cell car, which runs on hydrogen. Initial consumer interest has been strong, but the cars could suffer from a chicken-and-egg problem: Few people will buy them if they can’t find a place to refuel nearby, but companies are hesitant to invest in new hydrogen stations if there aren’t a lot of fuel-cell car owners. Toyota, Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Cothey were looking at paying part of the expenses of operating hydrogen stations. Details and budget weren’t disclosed. “Our aim is to support the activities that are necessary to create new demand for fuel-cell vehicles,” The cooperation will take place only in Japan, said Kayo Doi,The Japanese government sees fuel-cell cars as an area where Japanese companies could dominate, and it has been pushing the private sector to support the infrastructure needed.Fuel-cell cars run on electricity generated from hydrogen and emit just water and heat. The hydrogen tank can be filled in a few minutes, much shorter than the time it takes to recharge an electric vehicle. Toyota’s Mirai can run for 650 kilometers with a full tank.Currently, 45 hydrogen stations are operating in Japan or are under construction, according to Japan’s industry ministry–a figure it hopes to raise to 100 by March 2016. In general it costs around ¥400 million to ¥500 million ($3.4 million to $4.2 million) to build one, with operating costs estimated at around ¥40 million per year.

 

It will start selling a fuel-cell model by March 2016 Honda says , Nissan, whose green car strategy is centered on electric vehicles, is aiming to introduce a fuel cell vehicle in 2017 together with Daimler AG and Ford Motor Co.The three auto makers, along with Mitsubishi Motors Corp., have also worked together to build more charging stations in Japan for electric vehicles.