Toyota is set launch the first hydrogen and emissions free vehicle next year. Toyota Motor Sale’s vice president Bob Carter is predicting the cost to refuel a hydrogen vehicle will be $30 for every 300 miles. That number averages out to 10 cents per mile and that’s what it costs to drive an electric vehicle today. The price of hydrogen is currently at $5 to $7 per kilogram. So how realistic is this number?
Toyota is betting on the boom of natural gas fracking and the investment on regional hydrogen refueling system. California, Germany and Japan are investing hundreds of millions of dollars to create regional infrastructure that will support hydrogen fueled cars and keep the cost competitive with gasoline and electric powered cars. California expects to have close to 100 hydrogen fueling stations running by 2016. A billion dollar investment in natural gases could bring down the cost of hydrogen and make it competitive and comparable with the price of gasoline.
To learn more about what it will take to make hydrogen more affordable watch this video below.