Long focused on hydrogen-electric vehicles, Toyota Motor Company announced that it is reversing it's course on the technology. Instead, the brand will begin to make a push towards developing a long range battery-electric vehicle that can compete with cars like the new Chevy Bolt. However, Toyota will still work on hydrogen fuel cell technology.
The Japanese automaker is the latest brand to announce their intent to design a vehicle that can get more than 200 miles on a single electric charge. Because of strict emissions regulations in the United States and pollution issues in China, Toyota has been under pressure from both nations to develop a long-range electric vehicle.
The manufacturer has stated that the necessary infrastructure for a hydrogen-powered vehicle "isn't there." This meant that Toyota's only alternative was to develop a long-range battery-electric vehicle. Such would be the only realistic way the automaker could get around strict U.S. emission regulations and China has been touting electrification as a way to deal with the country's endemic smog problems.
Toyota has been a proponent of hydrogen cell vehicles since it released the Mirai in 2015. This particular model can get up to 300 miles on a tank and be refueled in about five minutes. However, the only state in the U.S. where the Mirai has been sold is California because, as the manufacturer stated, the hydrogen distribution infrastructure required for hydrogen cell vehicles is not where it needs to be. The EV charging base is growing at a much more rapid pace according to experts.
But Toyota doesn't plan on giving up their fuel cell program entirely. They will reportedly set up a team next year that will develop vehicles that can get around 300 km (190 miles) on a charge.
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