Toyota Mirai fuel cell vehicle launches in Sweden and Norway this summer, Netherlands later this year
30 March 2016
Toyota will launch the Mirai fuel cell vehicle in Sweden and Norway this summer, following other European countries that have introduced the Toyota Mirai in 2015 (UK, Germany and Denmark) or early 2016 (Belgium). The Netherlands will follow later this year. The Mirai launched in Japan in December 2014 and in the US in 2015.
In Norway the launch comes at a time when on top of the 5 existing hydrogen stations in the east of the country, two local hydrogen providers (HyOP and Uno-x) have committed to add more than 20 hydrogen stations across the country by 2020.
The hydrogen stations are also expected to be a priority in the 2018-2029 National Transport Plan that comes with additional funding. Toyota customers enjoy the same benefits of electric vehicles, i.e. VAT and tax exemptions on purchase, access to bus lanes and free toll.
Similar to neighboring Norway, Sweden already has a number of hydrogen stations in cities such as Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö, with more in the pipeline to open later this year (Mariestad and an additional station in the capital Stockholm).
In Sweden, hydrogen is locally produced 100% based on renewable energy, just as in Denmark.
The number of Toyota Mirai cars sold in both countries will initially be small. Toyota estimates selling around 30,000 units a year globally in 2020 from 3,000 units in 2017.
Good news for FCEVs and clean H2 stations.
By 2020, many other manufacturers will join Toyota with mass produced efficient lower cost FCEVs.
I would buy one as soon as the greater area has enough clean H2 stations together one station within 5 Km or so. That will probably happen by 2020/2022 or so.
By that time more effective SS H2 tanks will give FCEVs even more range?
Posted by: HarveyD | 30 March 2016 at 09:55 AM
Low pressure H2 storage won't solve the problem of lack of distribution and retail infrastructure.
The wish for "enough clean H2 stations" ... "by 2020/2022 or so" isn't going to happen unless planning and permitting is happening now, but it isn't.
There's no reason for anyone to build that $4 million per node network infrastructure when the FCV manufacturers are only selling 75 cars per year.
Any other conclusion is wishful thinking.
Posted by: electric-car-insider.com | 01 April 2016 at 10:15 AM
H2 stations are being built in Northern Europe, whether you like it or not. Northern Europeans realize that BEV alone won't be enough for them. Long and cold winters require higher energy storage capacity than battery can handle. The waste heat from the FC brings up the efficiency of the FC to par with battery's efficiency.
Northern Europe has mild summers with very long days that provide a lot of solar energy without much A/C need for all that solar energy, perfect for making H2 to be stored for long and cold winters. Then, those H2 can be used for heating as well as for combined power and waste heat utilization (CHP) whereby efficiency of H2 utilization can approach 100%. With 80%-efficient electrolysis based on Higher Heating Value (HHV), the round-trip efficiency of H2 used for heating or for CHP will approach 80% efficiency and on par with battery e-storage and pumped-hydrostatic storage.
Posted by: Roger Pham | 01 April 2016 at 01:05 PM
It sounds very appealing, Roger.
I actually agree that for large scale stationary storage applications, H2 may stake out a position. But until it is actually happening on scale and cost competitive it's just an aspirational goal.
There are plenty of other market developments that could happen before that dream becomes a reality.
For transportation applications, the cost of the infrastructure build-out makes H2 a distant long shot.
Posted by: electric-car-insider.com | 01 April 2016 at 06:45 PM
FCEVs do not have a TESLA but up to 20 majors to build them?
Multiple H2 stations and mass produced FCEVs will take off by 2018/2020 or so.
Posted by: HarveyD | 04 April 2016 at 02:29 PM
Harvey, what/where are you reading that indicates FCEVs are going to "take off" in as little as 2-4 years from now?
How many H2 stations do you think will be in operation by the end of 2018? What will the per station capacity be?
Posted by: electric-car-insider.com | 04 April 2016 at 09:29 PM