Japanese car makers bet on hydrogen as future fuel
Japan has taken a big bet on hydrogen as the next form of energy and is working with determination to make sure it pays off. There is, however, a long way to go.
Honda, which released its Clarity Hydrogen fuel cell car in March 2016, sold only 217 units in the first year and the car retails at ¥2m ($17,600) more than a conventional sedan car with an internal combustion engine. Japan’s other serious hydrogen car producer, Toyota, has not done that much better with 3,000 Mirai’s sold after three years of sales.
Despite this, there is still reason to believe that the country, with its remarkable ability to pull in one direction and its exceptional co-operation between industry and government is going to win this bet. The country plans a complete hydrogen value chain by 2030.
The targets are ambitious. It is envisaged that there will be 400,000 fuel cell vehicles in use by 2020, with a network of 900 hydrogen fuel stations to supply them. Building new infrastructure and a network of hydrogen refuelling stations is the biggest cost and stumbling block to the plan, with the cost of setting up a hydrogen station five times that of an ordinary fuel station. The national government and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) have stepped up with financial assistance, bringing down the cost of establishing a fuel station in the city to the equivalent of an ordinary fuel station. The TMG plans to have a fuel station within 15 minutes from most places in the city by 2020. There are 90 stations around Japan, powered by solar energy and CO² emission-free.
These cars emit only water. If the hydrogen is generated sustainably using renewable energy, such as solar panels attached to the roof of the station, then the cars are completely emission-free.
The hydrogen tanks are in the boots. It is pumped into a fuel cell under the bonnet of the car, where it meets oxygen from inlets in front of the vehicle. The reaction in the cell generates energy, which powers the motor.
The Clarity has a capacity of 750km before requiring a refill, at least three times the distance most other electric cars can travel. Honda is hopeful that world production will increase following an arrangement with General Motors to produce the cars in the US.
While the car is parked, it is possible to connect it to an external generator for a house, acting as a mobile electricity generator. Two Japanese companies — Panasonic and Toshiba — manufacture hydrogen-based home batteries that generate power as a clean alternative.
Several hydrogen pilot projects will be showcased at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where hydrogen-powered buses will be used. Japan last hosted the Olympics in 1964 where its legacy project was the Shinkansen bullet train, an innovation adopted by the rest of the world.
If Japan’s bet pays off in 2020, it will achieve another impressive transport feat and an energy revolution.