Fuel cells

• [New] Toyota is expected to invest about $13.5 billion through the end of the decade in electrifying its vehicles, as it targets sales of 4.5 million hybrids and one million full-EVs and fuel cell vehicles a year by 2030 or sooner.
• Japan aims to eliminate sales of new gasoline-powered vehicles by the mid-2030s, shifting to electric vehicles (EVs) including hybrid vehicles and fuel cell vehicles.
• Within the next two years, the EHPC technology is expected to be scaled to produce 100 kg of hydrogen a day or more from a single EHPC system, enough to fill 20 fuel cell electric vehicles.
• Siemens is developing a Mireo plus H variant in partnership with Canadian fuel cell producer Ballard which, by 2021, expects to have developed a fuel cell with triple the service life, 50% higher power density and 5% better efficiency than current fuel cells.
• Japan has announced plans to get 800,000 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles onto its roads by 2030 and South Korea says it will go even higher with 1.8m.
• South Korea aims to become a global leader in hydrogen-powered cars and fuel cells by 2030.
• South Korea's government-supported Hydrogen Economy Roadmap is notably among the most ambitious in the world, with the aim of ensuring 15,000 megawatts of hydrogen fuel cell installations, 6.2 million hydrogen vehicles and 1,200 hydrogen charging stations are in operation by 2040.
• Sales of new energy vehicles - which include pure battery EVs, fuel-cell cars and plug-in hybrids - are expected to rise to about 1.1 million units in 2020.
• With the UK government set to ban fossil fuel vehicles from 2035, hydrogen fuel cells could do much of the heavy lifting in decarbonising freight and public transport, where 80% of hydrogen demand in transport is likely to come from.
• Japan has outlined plans to quit fossil fuels and import clean hydrogen with plans to have as many as 800,000 hydrogen-powered fuel cell cars on its roads by 2030.
• The Chinese government is targeting one to two million fuel cell vehicles by 2030 and over a thousand hydrogen refuelling stations.
• Fuel cells are in widening use in the automotive sector, with producer Ballard projecting a $100 billion market over the next 10 years to power medium - and heavy-duty trucks.
• By 2025, the California ZEV program requires over 16% of sales by large manufacturers to be pure zero-emission vehicles, either battery electric or fuel cell, or comply through credits market purchases.
• Total sales of new energy vehicles - including electric, plug-in hybrid and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles - are expected to reach 1.1 million vehicles in China in 2020, about 5% of total auto sales.
• In 2050, 113 million fuel cell electric vehicles could save up to 68 million tons of fuel and almost 200 million tons of carbon emissions.
• The assembly of fuel cell trucks and buses in Australia by Hyzon, working with strategic partners, is scheduled to begin in 2022 at the latest.
• China has set a target for NEVs, which also include plug-in hybrids and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, to account for a fifth of auto sales by 2025, compared with the current 5%, as it seeks to cut pollution and cultivate home-grown auto sector champions.
• Greater cooperation between the public and private sectors will be invaluable in developing and producing the hydrogen-based infrastructure necessary for the energy transition.
• China is Expected to Realize of Total Cost of Ownership Parity between Fuel Cell Heavy Truck and Diesel Engine Heavy Truck in Ten Years.
• California has a target of 200 hydrogen fueling stations and over 47,000 hydrogen vehicles by 2025 and is hoping that hydrogen will help balance its electric grid.
• Under current regulations, California's Air Resources Board requires automakers to sell electric, fuel cell and other zero-emission vehicles in increasing percentages through 2025.
• A draft rule issued by the California Air Resources Board in April would require 5% of new Classes 7-8 tractor sales to be zero-emission vehicles such as electric or fuel cell trucks by the end of 2024.

Last updated: 17 January 2021