With the aim of cashing in on the growing demand for electric vehicles, including its own, Japanese auto making giant Toyota Motor Corp launched for sale its revamped Mirai hydrogen fuel cell car that has a 30 per cent greater travel range on a single charge as the company initiated a fresh push into promoting its zero-emission technology.
Despite being supported by the Japanese government, Toyota has till now not been able to attract and convince drivers to purchase its fuel cell vehicles (FCV) even through it is a niche technology because of concerns among consumers of a shortage of fuelling stations, lower resale value of the vehicles and fears of the risks of a hydrogen explosion.
"The new Mirai will serve as a new departure point for creating a hydrogen-based society of the future," Toyota said in a statement. It will cost about 5 million yen ($48,000) after subsidy that is almost the same as the preceding model.
Even though it was launched about six years ago, Toyota ha dmanaged ot sel only 11,100 of its first generation Mirai according to the company’s figures at the end of September this year. The FCV have not been preferred by most other automakers compared to electric vehicles (EV).
According data from the International Energy Agency, 2.1 million electric cars were sold by global auto makers all over the world in 2019 which was 40 per cent more than what had been sold in the previous year.
Toyota’s latest launch was preceded by Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s announcement of a goal in October of reducing the total carbon emissions of Japan to zero by 2050.
The now postponed 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo had initially been targeted by Toyota to use as a platform to showcase its fuel cell technology as the company had planned to use 100 buses meant to shuttle visitors between venues using the technology.
Tapping into the Chinese market, the largest auto market of the world, is also on the radar of the Japanese auto making company. There are only about 7,000 FCVs in the Chinese market compared to more than 4 million electric vehicles being used currently there.
According to the new support measures for FCVs announced by the Japanese government in September, companies making the vehicles and availing government subsidies will have to increase the number of hydrogen charging stations while also making an effort to bring down the price of the fuel.
(Source:www.usnews.com)
Despite being supported by the Japanese government, Toyota has till now not been able to attract and convince drivers to purchase its fuel cell vehicles (FCV) even through it is a niche technology because of concerns among consumers of a shortage of fuelling stations, lower resale value of the vehicles and fears of the risks of a hydrogen explosion.
"The new Mirai will serve as a new departure point for creating a hydrogen-based society of the future," Toyota said in a statement. It will cost about 5 million yen ($48,000) after subsidy that is almost the same as the preceding model.
Even though it was launched about six years ago, Toyota ha dmanaged ot sel only 11,100 of its first generation Mirai according to the company’s figures at the end of September this year. The FCV have not been preferred by most other automakers compared to electric vehicles (EV).
According data from the International Energy Agency, 2.1 million electric cars were sold by global auto makers all over the world in 2019 which was 40 per cent more than what had been sold in the previous year.
Toyota’s latest launch was preceded by Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s announcement of a goal in October of reducing the total carbon emissions of Japan to zero by 2050.
The now postponed 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo had initially been targeted by Toyota to use as a platform to showcase its fuel cell technology as the company had planned to use 100 buses meant to shuttle visitors between venues using the technology.
Tapping into the Chinese market, the largest auto market of the world, is also on the radar of the Japanese auto making company. There are only about 7,000 FCVs in the Chinese market compared to more than 4 million electric vehicles being used currently there.
According to the new support measures for FCVs announced by the Japanese government in September, companies making the vehicles and availing government subsidies will have to increase the number of hydrogen charging stations while also making an effort to bring down the price of the fuel.
(Source:www.usnews.com)
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