Vehicle supply is particularly problematic. Additionally, hydrogen features prominently in Japan’s energy and climate policies such as the Strategic Energy Plan. The state subsidises around 1.4 million yen (US$11,000) for FCEV purchases and half of the construction costs for refuelling stations. Japanese government and industry have heavily promoted hydrogen electrification strategies, reflected by ambitious targets of 800,000 cumulative FCEV sales and 1,000 refuelling stations by 2030. By increasing the visibility of hydrogen technology, they can foster public and political support. If steel mills and chemical plants completely decarbonised, most of us would never notice, but an FCEV is a moving ‘billboard’.

FCEVs also provide a tangible symbol of a hydrogen society. Hydrogen is well suited to heavy-duty vehicles, freeing long-haul trucks from carting heavy and space-intensive batteries. Smaller batteries mean that FCEVs require fewer scarce and expensive materials, providing a buffer from supply chain risks. Rapid technological progress in batteries has eroded the range and refuelling advantages of FCEVs, but Japan’s enthusiasm for hydrogen is still justified by several merits.įCEVs do not require land-intensive charging lots - a single hydrogen station can support 1,000 vehicles, a boon in densely populated Asian countries. If FCEVs are to meet historical expectations and help electrify road transport, bold measures are needed to jumpstart the market.Īs battery electric vehicles rapidly become the default vehicle electrification technology, Japan is still betting on hydrogen FCEVs. But the transition is proving unexpectedly difficult. Encouraged by Toyota and Honda releasing the world’s first mass-produced models in 2015, Japan reinforced its ambitious vision of a ‘hydrogen society’ and media hype boomed. Japan’s early moves to spur the adoption of fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) have lost momentum. Economics, Politics and Public Policy in East Asia and the PacificĪuthor: Gregory Trencher, Kyoto University

Hydrogen cars