iX5 Hydrogen Wants To Hit 62 MPH In Under 5 Seconds

View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article

BMW wants its first-ever Hydrogen vehicle to be seriously quick, as the automaker has confirmed that it is targeting a 0 to 62 mph sprint in less than 5 seconds. For context, the upcoming all-electric BMW iX5 can go from nought to 62 mph in 4.6 seconds, attaining a top speed of up to 130 mph. It’s also interesting to note that earlier prototypes of the iX5 Hydrogen claimed to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in under 6 seconds, meaning BMW is making a notable step up in performance for the series production vehicle.

The iX5 Hydrogen makes use of a third-generation fuel-cell system which is jointly developed by BMW Group and Toyota Motor Corporation. It’s not only more powerful and efficient, but 25 percent more compact when compared to its previous iteration. BMW has claimed that the iX5 Hydrogen will offer a WLTP-claimed range of up to 466 miles. The iX5 Hydrogen will come with BMW’s xDrive (all-wheel drive) system, along with the M Sport package.

Refueling Takes Less Than 5 Minutes

BMW has equipped the iX5 Hydrogen with a flat tank system positioned beneath the floor to ensure the cabin retains its usable space. The system consists of seven high-pressure fuel tanks made up of reinforced carbon fiber, connected in parallel and enclosed in a metal frame for added safety. In simpler terms, multiple chambers have been combined into a single enclosed unit, controlled via a main central valve. These tanks can hold up to 15.4 pounds of hydrogen, and as claimed by BMW, refueling takes less than 5 minutes.

BMW Is Testing More Than Just Hydrogen Power

BMW is currently testing the iX5 Hydrogen prototype to examine the driving dynamics and performance under varied driving conditions. The automaker is also evaluating how all the drive components, like the fuel cell system, high-voltage battery, electric motor, hydrogen tanks, and the overall system control unit, are interacting. The goal is to ensure that every component performs as intended and that the entire system responds reliably in all conditions.

Talking about the fuel cell system, series manufacturing will take place at BMW Group Plant Steyr. Meanwhile, the next prototype assembly phase is getting underway at the Hydrogen Competence Centre in Munich. BMW is primarily focusing on testing its methodology for the industrialization of the fuel cell technology.

Launch Timeline

It will all start with the launch of the fifth-generation BMW X5 40 xDrive in October, followed by the introduction of rear-wheel drive, plug-in hybrid, and all-electric iX5 in the first quarter of 2027. A more powerful V8-powered version of the SUV will also make its market debut later next year, and BMW’s first-ever series hydrogen vehicle, the iX5 Hydrogen, is expected to make its debut later in 2028.

More than 25 years later, the X5 is still built in South Carolina. At BMW’s Plant Spartanburg, the X5 is not some peripheral product assembled far from the company’s emotional center. It is the spiritual center of the whole American operation, and BMW now officially calls Spartanburg the “Home of X.”

The new X5 was the obvious headline of the trip, and the pretense for why I had flown all this way in the first place. But after visiting BMW’s iFactory, the Zentrum museum and Plant Woodruff, the more interesting story seemed bigger than one model reveal. It was about what happens when one of the most important luxury SUVs of the last quarter-century has to drag its own legacy into the electric age, without losing the factory, identity and production ecosystem that helped make it successful in the first place.

The X5 Made South Carolina BMW Country

For most enthusiasts, BMW is still emotionally tied to Munich, inline-six engines, and compact sport sedans that seem to get better in memory with each passing year. But the modern company is also inseparable from South Carolina. Plant Spartanburg builds the vehicles that turned BMW’s SUV lineup into a global powerhouse. Walk around the campus, and the scale of that becomes hard to ignore. There are X models everywhere: finished vehicles, partially assembled bodies, test vehicles, transport trucks, production lines and enough kidney grilles lying around to make you think this might have been some sort of underground automotive black-market organ trafficking operation.

Thinking about selling your car? Get an instant cash offer online now. Click here to get started.

All that context makes the new X5 feel less like just another redesigned luxury SUV and more like the latest chapter in BMW’s American manufacturing story. It’s one thing to see the new X5 parked outside the Zentrum, wearing its Neue Klasse face and updated lighting signature under a big “Home of X” sign. It’s another thing entirely to walk through the bowels of the industrial system that makes vehicles like it possible.

The New X5 Was The Headline, But Plant Woodruff Was The Story Beneath

One of the most intriguing stops was perhaps Plant Woodruff, BMW’s new high-voltage battery facility, and it’s what makes the upcoming fully electric iX5 become viable as a serious production vehicle.

BMW says Plant Woodruff will begin series production of high-voltage batteries for the new iX5 starting this December. Those batteries will then travel to Plant Spartanburg, only about 15 miles away, where the fully electric X model will be assembled. That proximity turns the usual abstract talk about localization into something palpable. Workers can stand in one building, look at battery production equipment, and rest assured that those packs aren’t being treated as some distant EV supply-chain afterthought. They’ve been pulled into the same regional orbit as the vehicles themselves.

That’s the part of this story that feels most consequential. The all-electric iX5 won’t be treated like an obscure electric side quest built elsewhere and shipped into BMW’s lineup as an afterthought. Its construction is being folded into the same South Carolina manufacturing ecosystem that already builds BMW’s most important SUVs, further establishing BMW’s intent to produce electric vehicles in America.

Shopping for a new car? Click here to get a great deal on your next vehicle. Powered by Carvana, no haggle pricing, 100% online.

BMW’s Electric Future Still Looks Industrial

The inside of a modern factory doesn’t look quite as romantic as what Enzo Ferrari’s workshop might have looked like back in its heyday. There are no sweeping mountain roads in the background, no exhaust notes bouncing between stone walls, no leather driving gloves, and no heroic engineer gazing at a polished camshaft like it might reveal the meaning of life. Instead, there are production stations, inspection systems, robots, battery modules, digital processes, and workers moving through a manufacturing environment where precision matters more than theatre.

Plant Woodruff is built around BMW’s sixth-generation battery technology, with cylindrical cells, an 800-volt architecture, and cell-to-pack construction. BMW says the iX5 60 xDrive’s battery will have 144 kWh of usable energy in U.S.-market form, making it the largest high-voltage battery fitted to any fully electric BMW model so far. It’s the mechanical foundation of BMW’s attempt to make an electric X5 feel like a legitimate X5, not merely a battery-powered alternative.

The factory side is equally telling. BMW is using AI-supported production processes, digital twins, inline monitoring, and VR training for employees. They say the goal isn’t to make the factory seem futuristic for its own sake, but rather to build huge, complex battery packs with enough consistency that nobody buying a luxury electric SUV has to think about the factory at all. That, ironically, is the factory’s job: to disappear behind the product. Still, though, I couldn’t help but wonder if all that VR training only adds more steps to the onboarding process—no longer do new employees just have to learn the process, but now they must first also become comfortable with experimental augmented reality programs in order to train at all.

The X5’s Next Chapter Starts Before You Drive It

I still want to drive the new X5. Of course I do. BMW can talk about production quality, electric range, battery chemistry, and software-defined manufacturing all it wants, but an X5 still has to work well on the road. It has to feel expensive, confident, useful, and distinctly BMW, and it has to justify its badge the old-fashioned way: by exciting people behind the wheel.

BMW isn’t abandoning combustion, either. The new X5 family includes gas, diesel, plug-in hybrid, fully electric, and even hydrogen powertrains globally. That feels very much like the BMW we know and love: less about ideological purity, and instead more engineering optionality. But the electric iX5 seems to carry the most symbolic weight, because it asks whether BMW can preserve its most important SUV lineage into a new era without treating electrification as a separate universe. South Carolina is where that question finds its answers.

Autoblog aims to feature only the best products and services. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission.

BMW and Toyota Test Renewable Fuel

Toyota Motor Europe, BMW Group, Bosch and Repsol have launched a six-month pilot project in Spain to evaluate whether existing gasoline-powered vehicles can run exclusively on Repsol’s Nexa 95 renewable gasoline under everyday driving conditions. The program, which began in early July, involves a fleet of around 20 Toyota, Lexus and BMW vehicles. Unlike many alternative fuel projects, this does not require engine modifications or new refueling infrastructure; cars fill up at Repsol’s existing public fuel stations.

BMW and Toyota have partnered on several projects over the years, with the jointly developed Toyota Supra and BMW Z4 standing out as the best-known example. Bosch is supplying its “Digital Fuel Twin” system, which records and verifies fuel usage by combining data from the vehicles, fuel stations and fuel card transactions. According to the company, the technology brings “full digital transparency to the entire fuel value chain,” helping verify that renewable fuel is being used throughout the trial. Spain was selected because Repsol is currently the country’s only supplier of 100% renewable gasoline at public service stations.

Why Renewable Gas Matters

The four companies hope the project will show that renewable fuels can reduce greenhouse gas emissions without forcing drivers to replace their existing vehicles. Toyota says the pilot is intended to demonstrate that renewable fuels can complement electrification rather than compete with it, with the data eventually being shared with European policymakers as discussions continue around future emissions regulations.

Facing uncertain EV demand, major automakers are increasingly spreading their investments across battery-electric vehicles, hydrogen and synthetic fuels rather than relying on a single technology. BMW certainly isn’t abandoning combustion engines anytime soon. The company is confirmed to bring a next-generation gasoline-powered M3 alongside an all-electric version and plug-in hybrid models, reinforcing its long-standing technology-neutral strategy.

Carmakers Chase Carbon Neutrality

Toyota and BMW aren’t the only manufacturers pursuing carbon neutrality. Mazda has outlined a strategy that combines carbon-neutral fuels with technology that captures CO2 while you drive. Ford, too, has reaffirmed its ambition to become carbon neutral by 2050.

Toyota, meanwhile, continues to invest heavily in hybrids, hydrogen and battery-electric vehicles. That balanced approach appears to be paying off. The automaker’s EV sales in the United States have more than doubled this year, showing that American buyers are embracing all-electric Toyotas alongside the brand’s traditional hybrid lineup.

BMW is also enjoying strong momentum, comfortably outselling Audi globally while continuing to invest across multiple powertrain technologies. Whether renewable gasoline becomes a mainstream solution remains to be seen, but this pilot could provide valuable evidence that cleaner combustion is possible today using the cars and fueling infrastructure already in place.

Nearly 60% of Toyotas Sold Were Electrified

Toyota sold 212,793 vehicles in the US during June 2026, an increase of 10.1% compared to the same month last year. Of those, 122,063 were electrified vehicles, representing 57.4% of Toyota Motor North America’s total sales and marking a 35% year-on-year increase, highlighting how quickly buyers are embracing electrified powertrains, particularly hybrids.

The momentum continued throughout the second quarter. Toyota sold 673,971 vehicles between April and June, with 383,091 electrified models making up 56.8% of total sales, an increase of 19.5% over the same period last year. Toyota currently offers 33 electrified models across its Toyota and Lexus brands, giving customers one of the industry’s broadest electrified lineups.

RAV4 Waitlists Continue To Hold Back Sales

While electrified vehicles stole the headlines, several individual models also delivered notable performances. The Camry remained Toyota’s best-selling passenger car with 31,573 units, up 24.6%, while Corolla sales, which include the GR Corolla, climbed 6.5% to 19,873 units. The Prius also enjoyed a healthy 9.4% increase.

Among SUVs, the 4Runner was the standout performer, surging 125.6% year over year to 12,981 units. The bZ electric SUV jumped 59.7%, while the all-electric C-HR added 1,594 sales during the month.

Despite the RAV4 Hybrid achieving its best month on record, overall RAV4 sales fell 12.1% to 32,350 units. That decline isn’t due to weakening demand. Instead, Toyota has acknowledged that exceptionally strong demand for the redesigned RAV4 has created lengthy waiting lists, with supply constraints expected to cost the company roughly 55,000 US sales this year.

Strong US Results Contrast With Global Figures

Toyota’s strong US performance comes at a time when its global business faces increasing pressure. The company remains the world’s largest automaker, but global sales have now declined for four consecutive months as Chinese manufacturers continue gaining market share and geopolitical disruptions, including the conflict involving Iran, weigh on parts of the market.

Even so, Toyota’s latest U.S. figures suggest its multi-powertrain strategy continues to pay dividends, particularly as demand for hybrids keeps climbing. Senior vice president of Toyota Motor North America, Andrew Gilleland, says their “multi-pathway approach is resonating.”

UPDATE: The 2027 BMW X5 and its electric counterpart, the first-ever iX5, have now been revealed. Multiple powertrains are coming between now and the end of 2027, including a hydrogen model and a V8 M Performance model. You can read our full coverage, including colors, performance, and pricing, here.

A New Face for BMW’s SUVs in the Neue Klasse Era

View this post on Instagram

BMW says the new X5 makes a “significant leap forward” with its debut tomorrow, and the new face aims to show just how much more advanced the new G65 is than the outgoing G05 by adopting a similar look to that seen on the new iX3, with tall, skinny kidney grille elements in the middle and a mask-like upper fascia with the headlights in the outer extremeities. Unlike the iX3, however, the daytime running light LEDs take on an X-shaped motif with the X5, something that is expected to make its way to other X sports activity vehicles soon. Due to the lighting of the single teaser image, it’s unclear if this previews the combustion-powered X5 or the electric iX5, but a leak from BMW USA earlier this year confirmed the gas X5 would arrive by the end of 2026, so that’s probably what we’re about to see.

BMW X5 Set to Become the Heaviest Bimmer Ever

View the 3 images of this gallery on the original article

The upcoming G65 BMW X5 is reportedly going to claim the title of Heaviest BMW Ever, if recent reports are to be believed. According to BMW Blog, the 2027 X5 could weigh almost 6,200 pounds. The current G90 BMW M5 weighs a staggering 5,390 pounds, and the XM Label SUV with which it shares its powertrain tips the scales at just over 6,000 lbs, which is roughly what the i7 electric limo weighs. With more tech and power come bigger, heavier braking systems. Bigger, heavier brakes contribute to requirements for more power, creating a vicious circle. Hopefully, this new X5 is as good at managing weight as BMW’s reputation demands.

Akio Toyoda Speaking as an Enthusiast

Akio Toyoda, Toyota’s current chairman, candidly expressed his concerns regarding the industry’s singular focus on electric vehicles. Toyoda said unequivocally that he feared this industry-wide embrace of BEVs, and unlike executives even within Toyota’s walls, he was not ready to write off internal combustion engines.

In recent years, Akio Toyoda has emerged as one of the world’s most prominent advocates for traditional gas-powered cars. He noted, recently during an interview, that he feels “very alone” in his desire to preserve engines, stating his deep appreciation for the sound, the feel, and the smells of traditional combustion-powered vehicles. Toyoda also emphasized the importance of protecting thousands of global suppliers and technicians tied to traditional engine production.

The Business Angle

Toyota’s strategic divergence is not rooted in an anti-EV sentiment, but rather a realistic assessment of consumer needs and infrastructure readiness. In the United States, where EV charging networks remain inconsistent across rural and suburban landscapes, Toyota’s robust lineup of hybrid and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles offers a highly practical bridge. By investing heavily in a diversified powertrain portfolio, Toyota ensures that drivers have access to sustainable, fuel-efficient options that fit their specific lifestyles and geographic realities.

This commitment to traditional and alternative powertrains extends well beyond everyday commuter vehicles. Through its performance division, Toyota Gazoo Racing, the automaker is actively keeping the spirit of the internal combustion engine alive for driving enthusiasts. The brand continues to develop high-performance, gas-powered models and is actively testing experimental hydrogen-combustion prototypes on the racetrack. Toyoda views motorsport as an essential crucible for developing future technologies.

True to Toyota

Ultimately, Toyota’s strategy reflects a pragmatic belief that carbon emissions are the true enemy, not any specific powertrain. By resisting the immense pressure to put all its chips on battery-electric vehicles, the automaker aims to provide practical, accessible, and thrilling mobility solutions for every type of driver. As the automotive market evolves, Toyoda’s seemingly lonely stance is slowly but surely proving to be the industry’s most resilient and consumer-friendly strategy.

What Does the Money Say?

The capital reallocation is significant, with Honda’s investment in an independent hydrogen program for commercial and passenger vehicles following the end of its partnership with GM. Further, Toyota and Isuzu inking a partnership for commercial HFC (Hydrogen Fuel Cell) vehicle development, the heavyweights are signaling to the market that the margin-crushing battery electric model no longer convinces their board members.

Hyundai, similar to Toyota and Honda, is shifting focus to the commercial adoption of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Recently signing an MOU with the Georgia Institute of Technology, Hyundai is donating a fleet of NEXO HFC SUVs and a dedicated hydrogen electrolyzer to the campus. Hyundai is doubling down on its hydrogen plan for localized commercial and fleet ecosystems across the country.

What About Passenger HFC Vehicles?

In the policy-stricken EU market, BMW and Toyota are continuing to fortify their alliance. BMW is actively developing a mass-market hydrogen FCEV targeted for 2028, leveraging Toyota’s fuel cell architecture to insulate itself against lithium-ion dependency. Toyota, long criticized for lagging in the pure-BEV race, continues to refine its Mirai hydrogen platform and experiment with hydrogen combustion engines alongside its successful hybrid-first strategy.

On the enthusiast front, the rebellion is being fueled synthetically. Porsche refuses to let the internal combustion engine die quietly. The German powerhouse has industrialized the production of e-fuels—synthetic liquid fuels produced from renewable hydrogen and captured carbon dioxide—at its Haru Oni plant in Chile alongside HIF Global. As of 2026, Porsche has officially deployed these near-carbon-neutral e-fuels into the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, proving that high-performance internal combustion can survive the zero-emission era without a heavy battery anchor.

The Road Ahead

The reality of deploying these alternative fuels at scale remains brutally unforgiving. There is massive momentum right now for commercial hydrogen fuel cells, with major players looking to mass-produce the technology for heavy transport. Yet, the consumer infrastructure is collapsing under its own weight. Recently, three major hydrogen fueling stations in the California Bay Area—operated by True Zero, the state’s largest provider—have gone offline indefinitely due to localized supply chain and compressor issues. This station shutdown highlights the severe disconnect between commercial ambitions and consumer reality.

The takeaway for the American auto industry is interesting. The “all-EV” mandate is dead. If legacy automakers fail to aggressively diversify their powertrains, they are essentially outsourcing their entire future to a fragile grid. The internal combustion engine and the fuel cell aren’t artifacts of the past or concepts of the future—they are the multimillion-dollar insurance policies keeping the global auto industry afloat.

The latest BMW hydrogen engine that is going to feature in the iX5 Hydrogen model from 2028 isn’t actually a hydrogen engine like previous hydrogen-powered BMWs had, but a fuel-cell electric vehicle, or FCEV. With more than 20 years of experience in fuel cells and 45 years in hydrogen technology, the BMW Group is putting hydrogen car technology back into production by moving ahead with a new BMW hydrogen car in a couple of years, based on the next-generation G65 X5. Let’s see how it works.

How Hydrogen Cars Work

There are two types of hydrogen-powered cars – FCEVs that turn hydrogen and oxygen into electricity electrochemically to power electric motors that drive the wheels, and the internal combustion type that burns hydrogen in a modified piston engine, like a normal engine burns fuel. Hydrogen combustion engine technology has existed since 1807, and makes use of existing combustion technology to replace gas with hydrogen, and BMW made its first hydrogen-burning car in 1980:

If hydrogen combustion engines could be made to run at the ideal stochiometric air/fuel ratio, they would produce about the same power as a gas engine, but at extremely high combustion temperatures and with unacceptably high nitrogen oxide (NO_x) emissions. So, hydrogen combustion engines run on excess air – about twice as much as needed for complete combustion – to emit only water, leading to negligible NO_x emissions, but less power than a gas engine of the same displacement.

Hydrogen FCEVs (above) utilize a chemical reaction called reverse electrolysis between the stored, onboard liquid hydrogen and atmospheric oxygen to create electricity in a fuel cell. The only other byproducts are heat and H₂O (water). That electricity feeds electric motors that drive the wheels, so hydrogen fuel cell cars are, in fact, electric vehicles (EVs), but with a hydrogen fuel cell plant on board to provide the electricity instead of a battery. The Toyota Mirai, sold until recently in California, was an example of one, and this is also what the 2028 BMW iX5 Hydrogen (below) will be.

Past BMW Hydrogen Cars

BMW has made hydrogen-powered cars before:

• 1980 E23 BMW 745i. The first BMW ever with a hydrogen-burning gas engine, with a range of about 186 miles. (Second photo in this article and photo below left)
• 1989 hydrogen V12 engine. BMW presented the first hydrogen-burning V12 engine at the Frankfurt Auto Show.
• 2000 E38 BMW 750hL. Used the M73 5.4L V12 gas engine (below right) adapted to burn hydrogen. It developed 201 hp; the regular gas version of this engine developed 326 hp. Only 15 were made for fleet use in Berlin.

View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article

• 2005-2007 E65 BMW Hydrogen 7. Used the N73 6.0L V12 gas engine adapted to burn hydrogen. It developed 256 hp; the regular gas version of this engine developed 449 hp. A 100 cars were made and given to celebrities, politicians, and public figures to test.

• 2004 BMW H2R “Hydrogen Record Car”. BMW made one example of this record car to show off hydrogen combustion’s potential and attract attention to the technology. It used a 232-hp version of the Hydrogen 7’s 6.0L V12 engine, but with a weight of less than 3,400 pounds thanks to a CFRP body on an aluminum space frame, and a drag coefficient of 0.21, it reached a top speed of 186.5 mph.

View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article

• 2014 BMW 535iA. This was BMW’s only hydrogen FCEV, with a drive system developed entirely by Toyota.

The BMW iX5 Hydrogen

BMW says that it’s developing the iX5 Hydrogen to offer a diverse range of drive solutions to meet different regulatory and customer requirements, and that it will be its first mass-produced hydrogen-powered BMW. It will also make the X5 the first BMW model to be offered with a choice of 5 drive types: gas, diesel, EV, PHEV, and FCEV. BMW says the car will offer a second mainstay alongside EVs. 

The car uses BMW’s 3rd-generation hydrogen drive technology, jointly developed by the BMW Group and Toyota Motor Corporation. The fuel cell system has been developed by BMW, and the individual cells are supplied by Toyota. The new system is more powerful and efficient than past systems, and 25% more compact than before. Power output is 401 hp.

View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article

The iX5 Hydrogen pilot fleet has been on the road in more than 20 countries since 2023, being tested in severe heat, in sandy and dusty conditions, and at different humidity levels, with extreme cold testing also demonstrating full system performance availability shortly after startup and unaffected driving range. The fleet has covered more than a million kilometres (621,000 miles) to date. BMW is powering ahead with its hydrogen X5 to contribute to global decarbonization.

The new BMW iX5 Hydrogen will be a true BMW – pioneering in its class and delivering BMW’s typical driving pleasure. ~ Michael Rath, Vice President Hydrogen Vehicles BMW Group

Hydrogen FCEV Advantages

There are several advantages to hydrogen FCEV cars:

• Zero harmful emissions – only water.
• About as quick to fill up as a gas car – about 3-4 minutes.
• The smooth, silent, and instant power delivery of an electric car.
• Excess energy from the fuel cell can be used for cabin heating, so you don’t need dedicated and power-hungry separate heaters as EVs do.
• Similar range as an EV – about 313 miles for the iX5 Hydrogen on the WLTP cycle, regardless of the outside temperature.
• Superior cold-weather operation and range retention compared to EV batteries.

View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article

The Hydrogen Problem

There are several obstacles to widespread hydrogen adoption, and here are only a few of them:

• Refuelling infrastructure. While Japan and South Korea have many hydrogen filling stations, many other markets have few, and in the US, they’re mainly in limited parts of California. BMW might have to consider establishing refilling points at existing BMW dealerships to stimulate demand.
• Cost. Hydrogen currently costs around $36 per kilogram in California, and this problem can be alleviated through economies of scale. The FCEV is usually also expensive, due to the cost of development and of the FCEV hardware.
• Hydrogen production. Hydrogen produced from natural gas (gray hydrogen) generates significant emissions, while hydrogen from electrolysis (green hydrogen), which does not, is still an expensive process.

View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article

• Efficiency. Producing, compressing/liquifying, transporting, storing, and then converting hydrogen back into electricity in the fuel cell is a far less efficient process than simply charging an EV’s battery.
• Storage. Hydrogen requires strong and expensive tanks that can store it at high pressure as a liquid, and it always eventually leaks out and must be vented to the atmosphere if left alone, making its transport and storage difficult and risky.
• Complexity. A FCEV is a complex vehicle with many intricate and complicated systems on board, requiring advanced maintenance and increased lifetime costs.

These problems mean fewer than 13,000 FCEVs were sold worldwide in 2024.

FAQs

Q: Is BMW coming out with a hydrogen engine?

A: No, the 2028 iX5 Hydrogen won’t have a hydrogen combustion engine, but a hydrogen fuel cell generating electricity for electric motors, so it will be a hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV).

Q: Has BMW solved the hydrogen problem?

A: While BMW has made the fuel cell more efficient, more powerful, and smaller, there are still significant obstacles we can collectively call the “hydrogen problem”, such as clean production, storage, transportation, and refuelling infrastructure. These wider components of the hydrogen problem remain.

Q: What is BMW’s hydrogen iX5?

A: It is a next-generation G65 X5 SUV due in 2028 that uses a hydrogen fuel cell co-developed with Toyota, and is slated to be the first mass-produced BMW fuel-cell electric vehicle.

Q: How much horsepower does the BMW hydrogen have?

A: At this stage, BMW claims that the 2028 iX5 Hydrogen will have 401 hp.

Final Thoughts

BMW is pressing ahead with its iX5 FCEV, and its cooperation with Toyota has reduced development cost and improved the system sufficiently that it could conceivably be an excellent and practical replacement for an EV, especially considering its exemplary cold-weather performance. However, many obstacles still remain in the way of mass hydrogen adoption, and while markets like South Korea and Japan will be able to support the iX5 Hydrogen, it’s likely to again be a rare California-only car in the US when – and if – it comes here.

Mazda’s new rotary engine made its appearance in the range-extender Mazda MX-30 PHEV in 2023 and is due in the US shortly. It’s the first new rotary engine produced by the company since the discontinuation of the 13B-MSP Renesis rotary engine – the subject of this article. As the last mass-produced Mazda Wankel engine of the modern era, the Renesis engine was found under the hood of the nearly 200,000 RX-8 sports cars produced over a decade in the 2000s. Let’s examine its technical features, specifications, and potential issues.

Development and Timeline: 13B-MSP Renesis

The Renesis (a combination of “RE” – for Rotary Engine – and “Genesis”) was a thorough development of the 13B engine family, launched in 2003. It had two exhaust ports on the side of each rotor instead of a single peripheral port like its predecessor, which is where the “MSP” – or Multi Side Port – nomenclature comes from. This almost doubled the exhaust port area over the old 13B-REW engine, increased power and thermal efficiency, eliminated intake/exhaust overlap, and improved fuel consumption.

There were two basic versions – a Standard and High Output engine. The Standard 4-port engine had 2 intake ports per rotor, and the 6-port had 3 intake ports per rotor. A Sequential Dynamic Intake System (S-DAIS) optimizes the intake charge, lengthening the intake ducts for better low-speed torque, of which there is already very little on these engines. The Renesis 13B-MSP was the International Engine of the Year in 2003, and remained on the Ward’s Best Engines list for 2004 and 2005.

View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article

In 2006, the automatic models’ 4-speed transmission was replaced with a 6-speed automatic, and by 2008, the engine received several updates: An extra oil injector port in each of the rotor housings, an improved oil pump, a modified oil filter, and a reduction from 3 to 2 fuel injectors per rotor. These changes improved lubrication and reliability, and the updated engine is far preferable over the old one. The design of the catalytic converter was also changed to reduce the risk of clogging.

Mazda made a single RX-8 Hydrogen RE with a dual-fuel Renesis engine that can run on either gas or hydrogen.

The Stillborn 16X

The 2007 Mazda Taiki concept (photo below) showcased a new 16X rotary engine, its name alluding to its 1.6L capacity. It was mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The engine featured direct fuel injection and was intended to replace the Renesis, but little is known about it, as it never reached production in a road car. It featured a trochoid-shaped combustion chamber to improve torque and thermal efficiency

The New 8C

The next generation of Mazda rotary engine finally reached production in 2023, but fans will lament the fact that it’s not used to drive the wheels in any Mazda car, never mind a sporty one. No, Mazda’s new rotary car is the electric Mazda MX-30 PHEV, and the rotary engine is used as its range-extender generator. Other new features include a cooled EGR system and the direct fuel injection first seen on the 16X, allowing a higher compression ratio.

This brand-new Mazda rotary engine has only a single rotor, and it’s been optimized to develop its power and torque over a narrow rev band, and at far lower revs than traditional rotaries, because its only job is to charge a battery at constant revs. It also achieves the ideal Lambda 1 air-fuel ratio across all its operating ranges.

Renesis Engine Problems

The Renesis can suffer from various reliability issues:

• Apex seal leaks and wear. Apex seals on the rotor tips are wear items, and they wear faster if oil changes and top-ups are not on point. Worn seals reduce compression, cause hard starting, and lead to heavier oil consumption.
• Oil consumption. Oil consumption is a given with any Renesis, especially if you use a thin synthetic oil. Many owners prefer 10W-40 or 15W-40 mineral oil over Mazda’s 5W-30 recommendation to reduce oil consumption and residue buildup.
• Fuel flooding. Excessive cranking can cause the engine to flood before it starts, making it almost impossible to start. Also, shutting off the engine before it has properly warmed up exacerbates the flooding problem on the next start. This is not the right car for short shopping trips.
• Catalytic converter failure. Fuel flooding dumping too much fuel into the cat can cause it to fail, which is an especially big risk on the Renesis engine due to its propensity to flood. Worn coils and plugs will also lead to rich mixtures and accelerated cat failure.
• Starting problems. Apex seal wear and carbon deposits can reduce the compression ratio and lead to hard starting on cold mornings. RX-8 owners are advised to learn how to start their cars directly, because the incorrect procedure can cause fuel flooding, which makes it even harder to start the engine, and increases wear. The starter motor is apparently not very robust, and coupled to protracted cranking, the starter may also give up the ghost fairly soon.

View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article

• Overheating. Like many old cars, neglected cooling systems may allow overheating, so replace parts as necessary, replace the coolant periodically, and stick the the correct water/antifreeze blend. Deteriorating water seals can also cause leaks and overheating.
• Exhaust problems. Exhaust leaks are fairly common on the Renesis engine. 
• Spark plug and ignition coil failure. These parts wear quickly and have to be replaced frequently to avoid running problems and consequent engine damage. They work twice as hard as in piston engines, because they fire twice as frequently.
• Main bearing and eccentric shaft wear. The shaft spins three times faster than the rotors, and it’s apparently prone to premature wear, also partly because of the uneven heating between the intake and exhaust sides of the rotor housing. Housing deformation can apparently become a problem on highly modified engines approaching 500 hp.

Some owners have reported failure of the water seals, especially on the hot side of the engine, greatly exacerbated by aftermarket turbocharging. Meticulous, religious maintenance is of critical importance on these engines, and you have to check the oil very frequently, as the Renesis drinks a lot of it. If there isn’t abundant evidence of the most lavish and loving care and of frequent servicing and top-ups, you buy at your own risk. 

Experts recommend 3,000-mile oil-change intervals with mineral oil, not synthetic. Reports indicate that synthetic oils can leave residue on the apex seals, reducing the compression ratio and blocking the stator’s oil nozzles. Mineral oils burn off more cleanly. You also can’t get all the oil out via the oil drain plug, as some of it stays behind in the oil cooler circuit, so you have to drain that oil cooler too, or do a regular oil change at least twice at a time.

Furthermore, premium gasoline is recommended, as well as frequently replacing the spark plugs – at least every 10,000 miles. Ignition coils require frequent replacement too – at least every 30,000 miles. Poor-quality gas can cause the spark plugs to deteriorate even more quickly. Even with the best care, few 13B Renesis engines make it to 100,000 miles without an engine rebuild.

Cars Using 13B Renesis Engine

The Renesis engine was only used in the RX-8 production car, specifically:

• 2003-2012 Mazda RX-8
• 2003 Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE

It was also used in motorsports series by privateer racers, getting GT-class wins in the 2008 and 2010 editions of the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 2010 SCCA World Challenge Mid-Ohio Grand Prix (touring car class), among others. The most famous Mazda rotary engine in motor racing was arguably the R26B, displacing the same 654 cc per rotor as the Renesis engine, but doubled up to 2.6L capacity with 4 rotors. Fitted with this engine, the 1991 Mazda 787B became the first Japanese car (and the first car with any other type of engine other than a piston engine) to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In race form, the R26B developed 700 hp at 9,000 rpm.

FAQs

Q: Is Mazda still a rotary engine manufacturer?

A: Yes, Mazda has resumed manufacturing a rotary engine in 2023 with the single-rotor range-extender rotary engine used in the Mazda MX-30 PHEV.

Q: Is the Mazda RX-7’s a rotary engine?

A: Yes, every Mazda RX-7 sports car from the first generation in 1978 to the Series 8 variant of the 3rd generation in 2002 used nothing other than rotary engines.

Q: Is the Mazda 787B a rotary engine?

A: Yes, the Mazda 787B, which won the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans, had a rotary engine, notably a 4-rotor R26B with 700 hp.

Q: Does the Mazda RX-8 have a rotary engine?

A: Yes, the Mazda RX-8 exclusively used the 13B-MSP Renesis rotary engine for its entire production run from 2003 to 2012.

Final Thoughts

With the 13B-MSP Genesis engine now long dead and the latest rotary charging an EV’s batteries, will there be a new Mazda rotary sports car anytime soon? We finally have the Wankel engine back in production in the MX-30 PHEV, but Mazda hopes to bring us a proper rotary-powered sports car in the future, perhaps calling it an RX-9, and basing it on the 2023 Iconic SP concept car. But after many false starts, we won’t get our hopes up until it actually happens. We’re certainly holding thumbs.

We live in a world where the top priorities for car buyers and owners revolve around either sustainability or fuel efficiency. As a result, electrified vehicles like hybrids and EVs have flooded the market, though demand for the latter is cooling.

There is, however, another type of sustainable energy that’s been around for a while but isn’t as readily available to everyone: hydrogen. Only a few brands have gone deep into development, but Toyota is one of the few companies that actually sells a mass-produced hydrogen-powered car, and it’s been updated for 2026 (well, kinda).

Not A Ground-Breaking Update

The Mirai is actually somewhat of a halo model for Toyota. Ever since the model was introduced to the market, the brand has touted its benefits and the triumph of creating a mass-market product that harnesses power from hydrogen.

Interestingly, the current-generation Mirai has been around since 2020 and will continue in its current form at least until 2026. Toyota has announced that it will receive an update heading into the new year. Take note: it will only get one new feature, which is (drum roll, please) a set of new 19-inch black aluminum wheels.

In terms of the engine, the Mirai will retain the same fuel-cell electric powertrain (FCEV) that makes 182 horsepower. With the high-capacity hydrogen tanks, the Mirai has an EPA-estimated range of 402 miles. Toyota calls this engine type a “plug-less” electric vehicle because it uses an electric motor to drive the car smoothly and quietly. Still, that motor is powered by refined hydrogen that you top up at stations, rather than charge.

Admittedly, in terms of looks, the Mirai still holds its own in this day and age, largely thanks to its futuristic, sleek design.

Relevant to a Few

While it may be surprising that a set of new rims is all the Mirai gets for 2026, there’s actually a good reason for it. Hydrogen-powered vehicles are technically only able to operate properly in the sunny state of California, because it’s the only place with hydrogen fuel stations. This is actually a touchy topic for Toyota, but it is what it is. It just means that demand for the car isn’t substantial enough.

Just to give you an idea, as of September 2025, only 157 units of the Mirai have been sold. So, no, we believe that that level of demand doesn’t warrant a full model change or mid-cycle update just yet.

As for the price, Toyota’s smart to retain its 2025 pricing for the 2026 model year. It still retails for $51,795, excluding the dealer processing and handling fee of $1,195.

View the 4 images of this gallery on the original article

Toyota Models Affected By The New Recall

View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article

The recall affects numerous models from the 2022-2026 model years, with 12 different nameplates noted in the announcement. Impacted vehicles are listed below in alphabetical order:

• bZ4X (2023-2025)
• Camry (2025-2026)
• Crown (2023-2026)
• Crown Signia (2025)
• Grand Highlander (2024-2026)
• Highlander (2023-2025)
• Land Cruiser (2024-2025)
• Mirai (2023-2025)
• Prius (2023-2025)
• RAV4 (2023-2025)
• Sienna (2025)
• Venza (2023-2024)

Lexus Models Affected By The Recall

View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article

Nine Lexus models are also named in the recall, affecting coupes, convertibles, crossovers, sedans, and SUVs alike:

• ES (2023-2025)
• GX (2024-2025)
• LC (2024-2025)
• LS (2024-2025)
• LX (2022-2025)
• NX (2022-2025)
• RX (2023-2026)
• RZ (2023-2025)
• TX (2024-2026)

A Software Fault Means A Fix Should Be Simple, If Slow

According to Toyota, the problem lies in the software of the Parking Assist ECU, which means that a fix can be applied via an over-the-air update without owners visiting the dealer. The bad news is that Toyota will only notify customers “by late December 2025,” which indicates that it will take some time to accurately resolve the issue. It should be noted that this recall is separate from the one issued in September, in which 591,000 Toyota and Lexus vehicles were recalled for instrument panel displays that could go blank. It’s also unrelated to the recall issued last month, in which roughly 394,000 Tundra and Tundra Hybrid pickups were recalled for infotainment displays that may show a half green, full green, or full black screen. While it’s nice to know that this isn’t a repeat recall, it’s concerning that so many software-related problems are affecting the automaker at this time. Toyota (and Ford) are not alone, though. Stellantis faced a similar issue in September, recalling some 219,000 vehicles, and Volvo recalled over 413,000 of its cars earlier this year for failing rearview camera systems, too.

Three owners of Toyota’s Mirai hydrogen-fuel-cell vehicle have filed a class-action lawsuit against the Japanese manufacturer on behalf of all California-based Mirai buyers and lessees from 2016 to 2025. The complaint demands at least $5.7 billion in damages, marking one of the biggest legal challenges yet to hydrogen-powered mobility. 

Allegations of Concealment and False Promises

Filed in California, the complaint accuses Toyota, its dealerships, and its credit division of knowingly promoting and selling vehicles that depended on a fragile and inadequate hydrogen ecosystem. Plaintiffs say the company also hid reliability concerns, including fuel leaks, failed refuelling, and acceleration issues, that made the Mirai unsafe and unsuitable for everyday use. The lawsuit also alleges that Toyota continued to market and sell the Mirai despite the knowledge that owners and drivers of these cars were finding it extremely difficult to find working refuelling stations. This lack of infrastructure, claim the plaintiffs, has turned what was promised as a practical zero-emission car into a vehicle that could not be reliably used. 

Related: Is the 2025 Toyota Mirai Worth It? The Truth About Hydrogen Cars

Toyota’s ‘Five-Minute Fill’ Promise 

One of the central aspects of the case is Toyota’s advertising around the Mirai’s quick refuelling, which claimed that it takes about five minutes to tank up. In reality, however, hydrogen fuelling stations were frequently down for maintenance or out of fuel, with several being permanently shuttered.

The problem was exacerbated with Shell closing down their network of hydrogen stations last year; the resultant long lines at the few remaining working stations meant that some drivers had to drive miles and wait hours just to refuel. The lawsuit also cites the U.S. federal RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act, accusing Toyota of scheming to defraud customers through misleading communications and marketing.

Toyota Responds

Toyota has acknowledged that the hydrogen network has faced serious disruptions and says it has paused Mirai sales in some regions, including Sacramento. The company insists it is supporting customers through service credits, rental cars, and case-by-case assistance. Many owners, however, do not feel that these measures offset the frustration of paying for and possessing cars that they can’t really use for fear of being left stranded. 

Broader Implications for Hydrogen Mobility 

This lawsuit puts a spotlight on the challenges of promoting hydrogen-fuel-cell vehicles to private consumers. Toyota has led the charge in hydrogen mobility, aggressively marketing their zero-emission vehicle as a practical alternative, while the infrastructure seems unable to support large-scale deployment. Moving forward, these proceedings and their outcome could shape public trust in the viability of hydrogen as a mobility solution for years to come.

Around two months ago, I wrapped up an article covering the state of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and the challenges they face. FCEVs are currently only available for purchase in California, which is home to the most robust hydrogen refueling infrastructure in the nation. Unfortunately, that’s putting a positive spin on the situation. In reality, California’s hydrogen refueling infrastructure consists of just 50 stations. To make matters worse, those stations are plagued by errors and malfunctioning equipment that leave them inoperable on an all-too-regular basis. 

Efforts to establish streamlined hydrogen refueling infrastructure are bogged down by red tape, many of which are set by the State of California. For starters, almost all refueling stations require chillers that keep the temperature of hydrogen well below zero degrees. If these chillers fail, the entire refueling station becomes inoperable – and they’re just one part of the equation. Now, a company called Millennium Reign Energy (MRE) has created a refueling system that could be the solution, with a system that handles every step of the refueling process, including hydrogen production, purification, compression, storage, and dispensing.

The story of Millennium Reign Energy

MRE is nestled in Dayton, Ohio, just off of I-75, in a three-story building that had previously been a Cadillac dealership. The layout is ideal for their work, as the building can support cars on all three floors. When executives from MRE reached out with an offer to demonstrate their hydrogen refueling solution, it piqued my interest. As it turns out, not only is their refueling unit functional, but it is also practical, scalable, and already in use at various locations around the world.

CEO Chris McWhinney started what would become MRE in his garage in 2003. In 2008, he founded the LLC which currently holds 10 patents and five trademarks, and he is also a member of every codes and standards committee responsible for regulating hydrogen infrastructure. Thanks to his expertise, MRE puts safety above all else and is in the ideal position to provide the hydrogen refueling solution that the industry desperately needs.

MRE currently offers three hydrogen fueling stations, which are simply named Model 100, 200, and 300. The stations use onboard electrolysis to send an electric current through water, separating the oxygen and hydrogen molecules from one another. The hydrogen is then purified, compressed, and stored in tanks until it is dispensed. MRE can also remotely monitor each station’s diagnostics, production, and output to determine whether it matches supply with demand. If demand exceeds supply, the stations can be scaled up to produce and store more hydrogen.

MRE’s vision goes beyond simply providing local hydrogen fueling stations. The company plans to create a coast-to-coast route primarily along I-70, dubbed the Transcontinental Hydrogen Highway (THH), which would allow hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to travel from Los Angeles to New York City. While the project is currently in the early stages, MRE already has 22 fueling stations operating within the United States and another 15 around the globe. 

MRE works with several smaller automotive manufacturers

While MRE’s hydrogen fueling stations are already in use around the world in various fields, they also work with small automotive manufacturers who share a similar vision. In addition to serving as CEO of MRE, Chris is also the CTO of Revo Zero, an automotive company working to create a zero-emissions vehicle that’s as practical as any other vehicle currently on the road. 

Revo Zero currently has one vehicle available for preorder: the Model ENERGY, a zero-emissions SUV powered by a battery and hydrogen. It boasts a 700-mile range and can be refueled in as little as seven minutes at MRE’s hydrogen fueling stations. In addition to the six-passenger SUV, Revo Zero is working with MRE’s white label program to establish hydrogen refueling infrastructure of its own.

If a fairly standard SUV powered by hydrogen isn’t quite your style, the Hyperion XP-1 hypercar might catch your eye. With a total output of 2,038 horsepower and a top speed of 221 mph, the XP-1 is designed to prove that hydrogen fuel cells can challenge gas-powered rivals. As it turns out, I narrowly missed seeing the Hyperion XP-1 on display at MRE’s facility—a pity.

BMW is also ready to enter the fray

Thus far, hydrogen has been at a standstill for a variety of reasons, but now it looks like BMW is also ready to add some fuel to the dwindling fire. The German automaker announced that the BMW iX5 Hydrogen will be the first model in its lineup to come powered by, as the name entails, hydrogen.

Unsurprisingly, BMW worked closely with Toyota to develop its hydrogen fuel cell system. The iX5 Hydrogen is expected to be the most luxurious model in its sparsely populated class, and it’s bound to come with a staggering price tag as a result. Considering the Toyota Mirai, Hyundai Nexo, and Honda CR-V e:FCEV all start at over $50,000, the iX5 Hydrogen’s price tag could limit it to a rather minuscule demographic.

Final thoughts

A huge thank you to MRE and Chris for not only showing me the facility but also giving me the rundown on the intricacies of their hydrogen fueling stations, running the numbers, and detailing their plans for the future. With the BMW iX5 Hydrogen, there are now four mainstream manufacturers competing in the hydrogen arena. Hydrogen as an alternative fuel source is clearly gaining traction, and with MRE’s potential solution to create a reliable refueling infrastructure, we could see FCEVs become more commonplace throughout the nation in just a few years.

To leave you on a fun note, Hyundai provides a live fuel cell vehicle zero-emissions miles tracker at the top right of the Nexo’s media page. At the time of writing, it currently sits at 20,090,237 miles.

A Careful but Clear Statement

Hanley emphasized that diesel will continue to play an important role in the short term, particularly for heavy-duty vehicles and in regional areas where options are limited. But his message came with a clear warning. “It’s not going to die off anytime in the next decade,” he said, “but in 10 years we’ll see hydrogen take over.”

The comments matter in a country where nearly half of Toyota’s sales are diesels, with stalwarts like the Land Cruiser seeing demand surge nearly 690% in 2025 even as prices creep higher.

Why Now?

The change in tone reflects mounting global pressure. In Europe, the phase-out of combustion car sales by 2035 is already underway, and Toyota has made it clear it intends to be ready when that deadline arrives. In the U.S., the trend is just as telling, with hybrids steadily moving into vehicle lines that once depended entirely on diesel, signaling how quickly the market is shifting.

The 2026 Toyota Highlander and Grand Highlander, for example, are now offered with hybrid drivetrains that blur the line between family hauler and fuel miser. The timing of Hanley’s comments suggests Toyota wants to prepare buyers for gradual change rather than springing a shock later.

Hydrogen on the Horizon

Toyota has been working on hydrogen fuel cell technology for years, from the Mirai sedan to experimental Hilux prototypes. Hanley’s remark that hydrogen could “take over” from diesel hints at a future where workhorse vehicles and regional fleets trade their fuel tanks for hydrogen tanks.

It is a bold statement considering the huge infrastructure hurdles ahead, but Toyota has always played the long game, backing hybrids, EVs, and hydrogen side by side rather than putting everything on one option.

What It Means for Buyers

For now, diesel buyers still have options, and Toyota isn’t about to abandon them overnight. Lease deals and pricing show how the brand is keeping performance and affordability in play while hybrids and hydrogen ramp up.

Even enthusiasts are catered for, with offers like September’s deal on the 2025 Toyota GR86 keeping the lineup diverse. But Hanley’s comments confirm what many already suspected: diesel’s clock is ticking, and Toyota wants to be in control of how that story ends.

Why Hydrogen, and Why Now?

BMW has long positioned itself as “technology-open,” meaning it doesn’t want to put all its eggs in one basket. While the industry seems locked in on battery-electric cars, hydrogen-powered cars like the 2025 Toyota Mirai are quietly gaining momentum for drivers who want quick refueling and long range. Filling a hydrogen tank takes only a few minutes, much like topping up a regular gas-powered car, which gives it an edge over EVs that require longer charging stops. Hydrogen cars have their own hurdles to conquer and are far from common in today’s market, but automakers are betting that could change.

New Generation of Fuel Cell Tech

Although BMW hasn’t sold a hydrogen car to the public, it has dabbled before. The first prototype was the 2014 535iA, followed by the iX5 Hydrogen, both of which relied on some Toyota-sourced tech. The next step is a leap forward. Developed with Toyota but mostly engineered in-house, BMW’s third-generation fuel cell is 25% smaller, more efficient, and more powerful. That means better range and performance, while fitting into multiple platforms. Production will be split across facilities, with Steyr building the fuel cells and Landshut producing the “Energy Master” that controls power flow from the high-voltage battery.

Will Hydrogen BMWs Replace ICE Models?

With EVs gaining market share and traditional combustion engines still in demand, it is unlikely that hydrogen cars will suddenly dominate. What is more realistic is hydrogen joining the mix as another option for customers. The biggest obstacle remains infrastructure, since refueling stations are still uncommon. But BMW is no longer treating hydrogen as a science experiment. Backed by Toyota’s experience and its own engineering prowess, the first production fuel cell BMWs will soon hit showroom floors. Whether they remain a niche alternative or become a genuine rival to all-electric models, BMW is making sure it has a stake in the hydrogen future.

Zero-emissions vehicles are on the rise, but there’s a clear winner when it comes to the fuel source. There are millions of electric vehicles on the road, backed by a robust charging infrastructure to boot. According to the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Partnership, there are fewer than 20,000 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCEVs) on American roadways, and all of them are located in California. That’s a massive gap, and it isn’t likely to close anytime soon.

Only Toyota, Honda, and Hyundai currently offer hydrogen-powered vehicles for sale in California, and the sales numbers aren’t good. In Q2 2024, for example, there were fewer than 100 FCEVs sold in the United States. The price of the vehicles is a clear factor, with the cheapest model starting at $50,000, but that isn’t the only thing holding hydrogen back. A lack of refueling infrastructure and a reliable source of hydrogen fuel has proven detrimental to FCEV adoption in both the United States and on a global scale.

While European hydrogen bus trials are showing mixed results, others are just entering the world of fuel cells. India and Saudi Arabia are both working on implementing hydrogen-powered buses into their public infrastructure. Hydrogen seems to have found a place in military applications as well, and new research indicates a solution to the fuel sourcing issue could be near. With so much interest in hydrogen from government entities and private corporations alike, I’m not counting hydrogen out of the game just yet – but I don’t expect it to gain much ground, at least not within the next decade.

There are three FCEVs for sale in the United States

While California may be the most populous state, there are only three automakers with hydrogen FCEVs on the market. Toyota’s Mirai sedan, originally introduced for the 2015 model year, was the first of its kind in the Golden State. Hyundai followed with its Nexo crossover for the 2019 model year. The Honda CR-V e:FCEV, which was unveiled in February 2024, is the latest hydrogen-powered model to hit the market.

The Toyota Mirai XLE is the sole model offered by the Japanese automaker, and it comes with a fully-loaded standard equipment list. Priced from $51,795, the Mirai’s hydrogen fuel cell system comes paired with a single-speed transmission and rear-wheel drive. It produces 182 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque. Per the EPA, it earns up to 76 mpg in the city and 71 mpg on the highway. In addition to Toyota’s latest safety tech and 14-speaker JBL premium audio system, the Mirai features wireless smartphone compatibility, smartphone charging, and 19-inch wheels.

The Hyundai Nexo hasn’t seen much in the way of changes since 2023, but the Korean automaker says major updates are expected for the 2026 model year. Until then, the Nexo starts at over $60,000 with two trim levels to choose from. The Nexo’s hydrogen fuel cell system sends power to the front wheels and delivers 161 horsepower and 291 lb-ft of torque. A 12.3-inch touchscreen display comes standard, as does Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. The base Blue trim rides on 17-inch wheels, while the Limited trim gets upgraded to 19-inch wheels.

The Honda CR-V e:FCEV is the latest model to join the segment, and it comes with a twist. Honda’s hydrogen entry features a plug-in hybrid powertrain that allows it to travel up to 29 miles on battery power alone. The hydrogen powertrain produces up to 174 horsepower and 229 lb-ft of torque, earning up to 94 mpg in the city and 79 mpg on the highway. The CR-V e:FCEV features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, as well as smartphone charging. It starts at $50,000 and includes black 18-inch wheels, LED lighting, and a hands-free power tailgate.

General Motors and BMW have invested in hydrogen fuel cells

Toyota, Honda, and Hyundai may have hydrogen-powered passenger vehicles on the market today, but they aren’t the only automakers working on FCEV development. General Motors and BMW are two other manufacturers throwing their hats into the world of zero-emission, hydrogen fuel cell solutions. 

General Motors made history back in 1966 with the GM Electrovan, the world’s first hydrogen-powered vehicle. More recently, the American automaker took another step forward by partnering with Honda to create hydrogen fuel cells. These fuel cells will primarily be used for commercial purposes, like heavy equipment and generators, as well as passenger vehicles, including the Honda CR-V e:FCEV. 

GM and Honda’s joint venture, Fuel Cell Systems Manufacturing LLC, has so far built only one product. The sole hydrogen fuel cell is around the size of a standard four-cylinder engine and can generate up to 77 kW, the equivalent of 103 horsepower. Multiple fuel cells can be combined to provide more power, and Honda plans to sell 2,000 of the fuel cells throughout 2025, with 500 reserved for the CR-V e:FCEV. While Honda is going forward with passenger vehicles, GM’s primary interest remains in heavy equipment, generators, and heavy-duty vehicles, like garbage and dump trucks.

GM’s role in hydrogen fuel cell development could be coming to an end soon, though. According to Hydrogen Insight, as of May 2025, the automaker has paused fuel cell production at its manufacturing facility. The American manufacturer will make a final decision on the plant’s fate in the near future. To date, GM has invested $55 million in the joint project.

Heading over to Europe, BMW is taking a stand on the side of hydrogen fuel cell development as well. The German automaker has partnered with Toyota to bring the BMW iX5 Hydrogen to the road. At its core, the hydrogen-powered SUV features Toyota’s fuel-cell system capable of producing up to 125 kW, or around 170 horsepower. According to the manufacturer, the iX5 Hydrogen boasts the most powerful passenger-car fuel-cell system and dedicated battery to date, producing 401 horsepower combined.

BMW’s hydrogen efforts predate the iX5 Hydrogen by more than 40 years. Their first experimental vehicle, a hydrogen-powered BMW 5 Series 520, made waves back in 1979. Afterwards, BMW continued to work on hydrogen development, creating a small series of prototypes and production models based on the 7 Series. In 2023, BMW took a step forward by testing the BMW iX5 Hydrogen pilot fleet around the world. With testing completed, BMW is preparing to bring not just the iX5 Hydrogen, but an entire series of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to market in 2028.

Notably, BMW has used hydrogen in its in-house manufacturing plant logistics since 2013, when the German automaker built the country’s first indoor hydrogen station at Plant Leipzig. As of April 2025, BMW was testing emission-free heavy-duty transport in the form of hydrogen trucks at Plant Leipzig. Dubbed H2Haul, the project is the next step in BMW’s efforts to connect transport, production, and products.

Hyundai’s hydrogen efforts support its logistical operations

Not long ago, Hyundai and Saudi Arabia announced their collaboration on a trial run of the South Korean automaker’s latest hydrogen-powered bus. This collaboration proves there are plenty of stakeholders in the future of hydrogen, ranging from government entities to private third-party corporations. 

The South Korean automaker’s efforts go beyond a single project in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, though. The manufacturer uses hydrogen-powered vehicles in its own logistical operations. Most recently, Hyundai and Glovis America introduced 21 XCIENT hydrogen fuel cell trucks to support operations at the massive Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) in Georgia.

“At HMGMA, we are committed to creating sustainable transportation solutions,” said Oscar Kwon, HMGMA CEO. “Our Hyundai XCIENT hydrogen fuel-cell trucks that support the Metaplant release zero emissions and offer a cleaner alternative to the traditional freight logistics methods used at other manufacturing facilities.”

Additionally, Hyundai and Glovis America will build a mobile hydrogen refueling station at HMGMA to support a closed-loop hydrogen logistics system. A hydrogen production and refueling station is expected to be announced at a later date. 

At CES 2024, Hyundai introduced the world to HTWO, its hydrogen business brand that covers each stage of hydrogen, all the way from production to utilization. In April, the Korean automaker announced that HTWO Energy Savannah plans to build a dual-purpose hydrogen and electric station to support heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles. The station will be located around 10 miles from the Port of Savannah, Georgia. Operations are expected to begin later this year.

“HTWO Energy Savannah is a breakthrough hydrogen production and refueling station for the heavy-duty trucking industry, allowing zero-emissions trucks to quickly and easily refuel at a single convenient location in the Savannah region,” said Jim Park, SVP of commercial vehicle and hydrogen fuel cell business, Hyundai Motor North America.

Honda CR-V e:FCEV tackled Pikes Peak

Tackling the likes of Pikes Peak is no small mountain to climb, with 156 turns throughout the 12.42-mile course. Honda previously set a precedent by taking on the “Race to the Clouds” with multiple electrified zero-emissions entries, starting with an electric Honda Civic wagon in 1994. This year, Honda raised the stakes with a new zero-emissions entry. The hydrogen-powered CR-V e:FCEV officially took on Pikes Peak with the help of a portable hydrogen refueling system.

There’s no denying refueling infrastructure is a core detriment to hydrogen adoption, not to mention the fact that hydrogen is still an evolving technology. That makes entering competitions like Pikes Peak somewhat difficult. Zero Emissions Industries’ (ZEI) FTcase, a portable hydrogen refueling system, helped make the CR-V e:FCEV’s hill climb possible. The suitcase-sized system weighs under 100 lbs. and doesn’t require any expertise to use.

The 2025 Honda CR-V e:FCEV runs on the automaker’s second-generation fuel cell system, providing increased efficiency and improved durability. The crossover combines hydrogen fuel cell technology with a plug-in hybrid charging capability, resulting in 29 miles of electric-only range and an EPA-estimated 270-mile driving range. 

Honda’s sole hydrogen-powered offering is built by hand at the Honda Performance Center in Marysville, Ohio. The CR-V e:FCEV is available in a single trim level priced from $50,000. It’s the first of its kind to combine hydrogen fuel cell technology with a plug-in hybrid system. While it’s built in Ohio, like all other hydrogen vehicles, you can only buy the Honda CR-V e:FCEV in California.

Hydrogen bus trial results revolve around fuel

While hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are limited in number on the consumer side, Europe is still testing hydrogen-powered buses on public roadways. Unfortunately, the results are mixed, with fuel expenses, production, and availability serving as major obstacles. Essen and Mülheim, for example, ended their hydrogen bus trials after fuel station subsidies fell through. The two German cities own 19 hydrogen buses between them, and they now need to travel 55 miles to refuel.

Brussels, Belgium, ended its hydrogen bus trials as a result of high fuel costs, while Aberdeen, United Kingdom, removed its hydrogen buses from service due to a lack of fuel deliveries. Wiesbaden, Germany, ended their hydrogen bus program after their refueling station ran out of funds. These results aren’t uncommon throughout Europe and the United Kingdom.

According to a 2023 report from Transport for London (TfL), hydrogen buses cost nearly twice as much to operate as their diesel counterparts, at £1.50 versus £0.80 per mile. Battery-electric buses cost the least to operate at £0.65 per mile. For that reason, many cities throughout Europe and the United Kingdom are switching out both their hydrogen and diesel buses in favor of electrified models.

While hydrogen buses saw an increase of just three percent throughout Europe in 2024, battery-electric models continued to be the most popular zero-emissions option with 46% market share. There are plenty of hydrogen bus trials that ended due to cost, refueling issues, and gaps in the supply chain. Notably, however, there are several trials that have seen some success, largely due to their steady source of hydrogen fuel. Auxerre, France, for example, has a local hydrogen production facility that produces fuel via electrolysis. 

Cologne is one of the few cities that can mark its hydrogen bus trials as a clear, undeniable success. Home to the largest hydrogen bus fleet in Europe, with more than 100 units on the road, Cologne is also home to a thriving chemical industry where hydrogen is produced as a byproduct, which has proven to be a stable fuel source. Whether you count that as a fluke or not is up for debate, but it’s certainly a unique situation.

Despite the mixed results of past and present hydrogen bus trials, some heavily populated regions haven’t written off fuel cell vehicles as an alternative to fossil fuels. The region of Île-de-France contracted Solaris Bus & Coach to provide 22 new hydrogen buses as part of the pilot program not long ago. India is also entering the world of hydrogen, with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy announcing hydrogen bus trials will begin within the next two years. The Indian program will test 37 buses and nine refueling stations in Delhi and Mumbai, among other major hubs.

Hydrogen has military applications, but fuel is a roadblock

The viability of hydrogen in public transportation is fairly hit or miss, but Honda’s Pikes Peak run, specifically utilizing ZEI’s FTcase, has proven that hydrogen can be a viable alternative fuel source for military applications. The U.S. Special Forces Operations Command has targeted alternate fuel sources with low thermal, visual, and audible signatures. Hydrogen checks all of those boxes – but sourcing hydrogen itself remains an issue.

During the Obama administration, the Department of Defense prioritized solar power, but the Pentagon recently shifted to deploying equipment powered by hydrogen fuel cells. Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii put a 600-kW fuel cell microgrid into operation, and, as it turns out, the base already has a reliable hydrogen fuel source. Electrolysis, which involves extracting hydrogen from water through a catalyst, membrane, and electricity, has proven to be the most promising. The military base is already equipped with solar arrays, making it a viable candidate for self-sufficiency in hydrogen fuel production.

Army researchers are working on making hydrogen more efficient by improving the life of fuel cells, catalysts, and cleansing systems. Currently, hydrogen is primarily sourced from natural gas and coal, which doesn’t exactly make a case for reducing dependency on fossil fuels. While electrolysis is a promising method of hydrogen production, it requires existing equipment and infrastructure. With the military getting involved in hydrogen fuel cell research and fuel production, however, it’s only a matter of time before we see more advances in fuel cell-powered equipment.

New research could increase hydrogen’s viability

Sustainable hydrogen fuel production is a missing piece of the FCEV puzzle, but researchers at MIT may have taken a step closer to green hydrogen not long ago. Currently, hydrogen is produced through less-than-stellar methods with a heavy reliance on fossil fuels. In a new study, engineers have found an alternative process with scalable potential that uses aluminum and seawater to create hydrogen.

For every kilogram of hydrogen produced from sourcing to transportation, the process generates 1.45 kilograms of carbon dioxide. Methods that utilize fossil fuels, for comparison, create over 10 kilograms of carbon dioxide for every kilogram of hydrogen produced. The engineering team calculated the cost of production at $9 per kilogram.

“We’re in the ballpark of green hydrogen. One of the main benefits of using aluminum is the energy density per unit volume. With a very small amount of aluminum fuel, you can conceivably supply much of the power for a hydrogen-fueled vehicle,” said Dr. Aly Kombargi, MIT mechanical engineering graduate and the study’s lead author.

To produce hydrogen at scale, the process begins by obtaining scrap aluminum, then shredding it into pellets and treating it with gallium-indium. Next, the aluminum would be transported to a fuel center located near seawater. This method produces hydrogen and boehmite, a byproduct that can be used in semiconductor production and could be sold to electronics manufacturers to further reduce hydrogen production costs.

Hydrogen refuelling infrastructure needs to expand

No matter what way you cut it, hydrogen refueling infrastructure needs to expand if fuel cell vehicles are ever going to see mass adoption. While there are refueling stations in California, some owners say hydrogen fuel delivery shortages and issues are a regular occurrence. As a result, some consumers have filed a class action lawsuit against Hyundai, indicating that they were misled about the viability of hydrogen cars and the reliability of hydrogen refueling stations.

“We started running into situations where you would go to a station and there might be a couple cars in line and you might wait half an hour, 45 minutes or an hour, hour and a half, and then maybe the car in front of you got the last little bit of hydrogen or you hooked up to the station and then there was an error code,” Bernard Gross told 10 On Your Side.

In early 2024, Shell closed its hydrogen fueling stations due to supply issues and other external factors. Notably, hydrogen refueling stations are known to frequently malfunction, leading to downtime that ultimately renders the station inoperable. That’s not to mention the zoning issues and strict building regulations implemented by the state and local governments.

According to the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Partnership, there are 50 hydrogen refueling stations operating in California. Comparatively, there are over 10,400 gas stations and more than 16,500 public DC fast chargers operating in the same state. While modern hydrogen vehicles are technically still in their infancy, battery-electric vehicles have a massive lead. With lithium prices dropping and batteries becoming more affordable as a result, that isn’t likely to change.

If hydrogen vehicles ever want a fair chance at gaining market share, it’s going to come down to an expansion in infrastructure. EVs have proven that price isn’t necessarily an issue. The best-selling EV, the Tesla Model Y, for example, starts at just shy of $45,000 without the federal tax credit. There’s no doubt that Tesla’s investment in its supercharging network was a major factor in early EV adoption, although home charging was likely a major consideration among consumers as well.

If Toyota, Hyundai Motor Group, or Honda were to make a major investment in hydrogen refueling infrastructure, it could give FCEVs a fighting chance. Notably, however, such an investment would likely run into the billions, not to mention that they would need a way to reliably and efficiently produce and transport hydrogen. That’s a gargantuan task, and it could delay hydrogen fuel cell vehicle adoption indefinitely.

Final thoughts

While hydrogen certainly has a future in the automotive industry, its progress seems to have come to a standstill. Until the refueling infrastructure issue is resolved, it’s likely to stay that way. Fortunately, new research indicates a solution for generating hydrogen sustainability isn’t too far off. Whether that’s enough to push hydrogen fuel cell vehicles out of limbo and into the public eye is yet to be seen. If no one steps forward to develop refueling infrastructure, it’s likely that hydrogen will remain in its current state as a niche alternative to fossil fuels, largely limited to public and commercial transportation, and potentially, military applications.

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have found a way to produce hydrogen gas with a smaller carbon footprint by combining recycled soda cans with seawater and caffeine. Most current methods for hydrogen fuel production are less eco-friendly due to their reliance on fossil fuels, but MIT’s study found that its alternative manufacturing process could be applied at an industrial scale.

The team of researchers calculated the carbon emissions associated with sourcing and processing aluminum, reacting it with seawater for hydrogen production, and transporting it to fuel stations. They found that for every kilogram of hydrogen produced, the process would generate 1.45 kilograms of carbon dioxide over its entire life cycle, 9.55 kilograms fewer than traditional fossil-fuel-based methods. One kilogram of hydrogen can take a hydrogen fuel cell car 37 to 62 miles on average, and the team calculated the cost of their fuel production method as $9 per kilogram.

The study’s assessments centered on using recycled aluminum, as it saves a significant amount of emissions compared to mining for aluminum. Salt in seawater proved valuable due to its ability to sustainably precipitate gallium-indium, a rare-metal alloy that effectively removes aluminum’s protective oxide layer, exposing pure metal that produces hydrogen when combined with seawater. The researchers were unable to source gallium-indium from regular water, as oxygen causes aluminum to instantly form a shield-like layer that won’t readily cause a reaction, which caffeine helped speed up.

Dr. Aly Kombargi, a recent MIT mechanical engineering graduate who was the study’s lead author, said in a release from the university: “We’re in the ballpark of green hydrogen. One of the main benefits of using aluminum is the energy density per unit volume. With a very small amount of aluminum fuel, you can conceivably supply much of the power for a hydrogen-fueled vehicle.”

What this hydrogen production method could look like at scale

Regarding commercial-scale production, these MIT researchers outlined the process as starting with scrap aluminum from a recycling center, shredding that aluminum into pellets, and treating it with gallium-indium, then transporting the pellets as aluminum fuel instead of moving hydrogen, which can be volatile. The ideal fuel station would be near a seawater source, and these researchers are exploring underwater production applications. The team was able to make life cycle assessments for their hydrogen manufacturing method using Earthster, a software tool pulling data from a vast repository of products and processes.

Their extensive assessments included primary aluminum mined from the earth versus recycled aluminum, while also evaluating different aluminum and hydrogen transportation methods. The researchers found that once its process using recycled aluminum was complete, it left behind boehmite, an aluminum-based byproduct used in semiconductor and electronic production, which could be sold to manufacturers, further reducing costs, Tech Explorist reports.

Final thoughts

Kombargi’s team discovered how recycled aluminum pretreated with a gallium-indium alloy and seawater could facilitate hydrogen fuel production in 2024, but during conferences, the researchers were frequently asked about the method’s carbon footprint and cost. Subsequently, extensive trials allowed the team to determine that for every kilogram of hydrogen produced, the process would generate 1.45 kilograms of carbon dioxide over its entire life cycle, 9.55 kilograms fewer than traditional fossil-fuel-based methods. The process’s cost of $9 per kilogram is comparable to the price of hydrogen generated with other green technologies such as wind and solar energy, creating a complementary solution.

Stellantis has announced the discontinuation of its hydrogen fuel cell technology development program, leaving more room for its $6 billion bet on an alternative-powered engine to come to fruition. Japan is leading the development of hydrogen power within the automotive industry, and China holds the most significant global electric vehicle (EV) presence, but Stellantis is investing $6 billion into the South American market to build a generation of hybrid motors that can run on gasoline or ethanol.

This next-generation bio-hybrid technology investment is the region’s largest of its kind for the automotive sector, helping spur over 40 new products that can switch between gasoline and ethanol on demand. The full range of ethanol powertrains will include a bio-hybrid version with an internal combustion engine and an electrical drive, a bio-hybrid eDCT using a bio-hybrid powertrain with an electric dual clutch, and a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version that utilizes a combustion engine, electric motor, and battery, ECONews reports. 

Former Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares, who Antonio Filosa recently replaced in late June, said: “As a critical part of our ‘third engine’ growth strategy, South America will take a leading role in accelerating the decarbonization of mobility together with our employees, our supply chain network and our partners,” according to Smart Energy Decisions. The automaker’s $6 billion investment will span from 2025 to 2030 and is centered in Betim, Brazil, which became Stellantis’ global center of expertise for bio-hybrid technology in March.

Stellantis’s hydrogen ambitions paused by infrastructure and market realities

While Stellantis retains its substantial investment in next-generation gas engines running on ethanol, it has announced that it will end its hydrogen fuel cell technology development program due to the limited availability of hydrogen refueling infrastructure, high capital requirements, and the need for stronger consumer purchasing incentives. Additionally, the company stated that it doesn’t anticipate the widespread adoption of hydrogen-powered light commercial vehicles before the end of the decade. Stellantis had planned to launch a new range of hydrogen-powered Pro One vehicles this year, with mass production for medium-sized vans set to begin in Hordain, France, and for large vans in Gliwice, Poland.

Jean-Philippe Imparato, Chief Operating Officer for Enlarged Europe at Stellantis, explained: “The hydrogen market remains a niche segment, with no prospects of mid-term economic sustainability. We must make clear and responsible choices to ensure our competitiveness and meet the expectations of our customers with our electric and hybrid passenger and light commercial vehicles offensive.” Stellantis clarified that its hydrogen research and development cuts won’t result in staff cuts, with energy being redirected to other projects.

Final thoughts

Japanese manufacturers, such as Toyota, have been investing heavily in hydrogen powertrain development, and Stellantis must now reconcile discontinuing its hydrogen fuel cell technology development program with its 33.3% stake in Symbio, a European company specializing in hydrogen fuel cell systems. Still, Stellantis shareholders shouldn’t panic over this priority shift, given the automaker’s $6 billion South American investment that could breathe new life into its portfolio. Stellantis plans to integrate varying levels of modern electrification with ethanol to produce over 40 new products, a move that comes at a time when an increasing number of companies are scaling back their battery electric vehicle (BEV) investments.

How It Works

Unlike a conventional plug-in hybrid, ZF’s range-extenders never use the engine to drive the wheels. Instead, the gas engine powers a generator, which in turn charges the battery or powers an electric motor. The base eRE drives the rear wheels, while the eRE+ adds a planetary gearset, differential, and clutch to support front-wheel assist — or full four-wheel drive.

The result is a modular, software-defined drivetrain that works with either 400V or 800V vehicle architectures. The eRE produces between 94 and 148 horsepower, while the eRE+ scales to 201 hp. Carmakers supply their own engines and batteries — ZF handles the rest.

It’s a concept that echoes similar efforts across the industry. ZF’s own range-extender push has been framed as a way to extend EV range without resorting to larger, heavier batteries — a particularly useful idea in midsize crossovers, pickups, and vans where space and weight are major concerns.

Others Are Thinking The Same Way

ZF isn’t alone in this line of thinking. Volkswagen recently revised its future EV platform — the Scalable Systems Platform (SSP) — to accommodate optional range extenders. While SSP was originally designed as a pure BEV solution, the company now views a generator-equipped fallback as a pragmatic “safety net” against softening EV demand. The SSP will remain electric-first, but the range-extender update shows just how much the industry’s tone has shifted.

Likewise, Scout Motors — the VW Group-owned electric off-road brand — is developing its own version of this concept. The upcoming Scout Traveler SUV and Terra pickup will be available with a “Harvester Range Extender” that promises to boost range to 500 miles. As with ZF’s eRE setup, the Harvester system uses a gasoline engine strictly as a generator, not as a means of direct propulsion.

What they all share in common is intent: extending range through smarter architecture, not just bigger batteries.

What’s Next?

ZF’s system is ready for global adoption. Manufacturing begins in 2026, with the company targeting automakers across Europe, China, and North America. BMW is reportedly trialing range-extender concepts with its iX5 hydrogen test vehicles, while other brands — particularly those not developing ground-up EV platforms — are evaluating ZF’s solution as a retrofit-friendly option.

The company previously worked on range-extender setups for London black cabs and is now investing heavily in modular, powertrain-agnostic components that help manufacturers adapt without overhauling their entire production line.

For consumers, that could mean EVs that charge less often, cost less upfront, and offer better winter performance — all without forcing a compromise on driving feel or emissions targets.

Why It Actually Matters

The EV narrative isn’t collapsing, but it is correcting. Range anxiety hasn’t gone away, and infrastructure rollouts are lagging behind adoption rates. Rather than wait for the grid to catch up, companies like ZF are finding ways to meet drivers where they are — with practical, affordable tools that bridge the gap.

Range-extenders won’t replace pure EVs or hybrids entirely, but as part of a broader strategy, they may prove to be the missing link — a smart compromise in a world that’s still figuring out how to plug in.

This isn’t just a case of supply chain tweaks or cautious planning. It marks a noticeable cooling of Honda’s once-enthusiastic hydrogen ambitions — and reflects wider headwinds facing the fuel cell sector as a whole.

Global Hype Meets Global Headwinds

Honda was among the earliest champions of hydrogen tech, unveiling its first fuel cell concept more than three decades ago and releasing the Clarity Fuel Cell sedan in the mid-2010s. But despite years of development, mass adoption of hydrogen-powered vehicles has remained elusive.

Infrastructure has lagged. Costs remain high. And the dominance of battery-electric vehicles — from Teslas to BYDs — has made fuel cells look increasingly niche. Even Toyota, another vocal hydrogen proponent, is putting greater emphasis on hybrid and BEV models, while Hyundai’s hydrogen truck plans have slowed.

Against that backdrop, Honda’s decision to delay its fuel cell rollout — and step back from Japan’s METI subsidy scheme — sends a clear signal: the hydrogen timeline is slipping.

No More Fast-Track, No More Subsidy

Honda had been preparing the Moka City site for production of its next-generation fuel cell module, independently developed and planned for use in four domains: fuel cell vehicles, commercial trucks, stationary power generators, and construction machinery.

The facility was supposed to be a flagship — a sign that Honda’s hydrogen plans were maturing. But the revised production timeline now pushes it beyond the 2028 subsidy deadline and below the 20,000-unit annual output threshold required to qualify. Rather than adjust the project to fit, Honda has opted out of the programme entirely.

Still Talking Big — But Moving Cautiously

In its official statement, Honda reiterated its long-term goal of achieving carbon neutrality across all products and corporate activities by 2050. Hydrogen, it says, remains a part of that strategy. But the language has shifted from bold commitments to tempered caution.

Honda still sees hydrogen as one of its “core businesses,” but its actions suggest a more pragmatic approach — keeping the tech alive without overcommitting capital in an uncertain market.

In short: the fuel cell dream isn’t dead. But it’s not exactly on a fast charge either.

Hydrogen hasn’t quite caught on like automotive manufacturers hoped, with refueling stations largely limited to California. While many experts and consumers alike have written off hydrogen in favor of battery-electric vehicles, the Honda CR-V e:FCEV is out to prove that fuel cell modules have a future by taking a run at the Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, better known as “Race to the Clouds.” The 156-turn, 12.42-mile mountain climb will take place on June 22nd, and it’s only possible because of Zero Emissions Industries’ (ZEI) FTcase, a portable hydrogen refueling system.

Honda has a long history in zero-emission competition

This isn’t Honda’s first rodeo when it comes to entering zero-emission vehicles in the intense mountain climb. The automaker’s history of zero-emissions competition at Pikes Peak dates back to 1994, when Honda won the first-ever EV Class race with an electric Honda Civic wagon. In 1999, the manufacturer entered a race-ready EV Plus into the EV Class, taking home another win. 15 years later, in 2014, an electrified Honda Fit won the EV Class for a third time. The following year, Honda ventured into the Exhibition Class with an EV concept based on the CR-Z. In 2016, a four-motor EV with NSX styling completed the Pikes Peak run in just over nine minutes.

The 2025 Honda CR-V e:FCEV will compete in the Exhibition Class on June 22nd, powered by a stock zero-emission powertrain on June 22nd. Other modifications include a one-inch lowered suspension, 18-inch wheels, racing brake pads, racing seat, and safety cage. There’s no hydrogen refueling infrastructure available at the local level, which means the CR-V e:FCEV is relying on ZEI’s FTcase, a portable hydrogen fueling system, to stay in the race. The refueling system allows a single driver with no hydrogen expertise to refuel a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle safely.

The 2025 Honda CR-V e:FCEV utilizes the automaker’s second-generation fuel cell system, which improves durability, increases efficiency, and lowers costs compared to the previous generation. The hydrogen-powered crossover features plug-in charging capability, offering up to 29 miles of electric-only driving and an EPA-estimated 270-mile driving range. The plug-in hybrid powertrain uses a single electric motor that produces 174 horsepower and 229 lb-ft of torque.

The CR-V e:FCEV is hand-built at the Honda Performance Manufacturing Center in Marysville, Ohio. It’s the only fuel cell passenger vehicle made in the United States, and the first to combine hydrogen fuel cell technology with a plug-in hybrid system. Available in one trim level, the 2025 Honda CR-V e:FCEV starts at $50,000 and is only available for purchase in California.

The hydrogen-powered CR-V acts as proof of concept for military use

If anything, ZEI’s FTcase proves that hydrogen can be a logistical solution in military applications, namely in sensor-heavy environments. Specifically, the U.S. Special Forces Operations Command has prioritized “Reduced Signature” capabilities in its search for an alternative fuel source. Such a fuel source would need to have low thermal, visual, and audible signatures. 

The Army is also currently developing alternative power sources for unmanned vehicles, command equipment, and power generation. Hydrogen fits the bill to a T, with no greenhouse gas emissions and low thermal signatures that would help the alternative fuel source fly under the radar. Army researchers are taking hydrogen generation methods a step further, with a focus on improving the life of fuel cells, catalysts, and cleansing systems. Fuel cell power sources also need to be compact, easy to move, and relatively undetectable.

Under the Obama administration, the Department of Defense put a heavy focus on solar power. More recently, however, the Pentagon has shifted to hydrogen fuel cell adoption. The Air Force, for example, deployed a 600-kW fuel cell microgrid at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii last year. While a single microgrid is a start, the hydrogen puzzle is still one that needs to be solved.

Natural gas is the primary source of hydrogen, but coal also makes its own contribution. As a proposed alternative to fossil fuel dependency, hydrogen sourced from coal isn’t exactly a solid game plan. Fortunately, new hydrogen sources are within reach, with electrolysis proving one of the most promising. Electrolysis is essentially a fuel cell in reverse – hydrogen is extracted from water via a membrane, a catalyst, and electricity. That’s where the existing solar arrays from the Obama administration come into play. By using the solar arrays already available at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, the military plans become self-sufficient in its hydrogen fuel production.

Final thoughts

The Honda CR-V e:FCEV’s Pikes Peak run has essentially acted as a proof of concept for compact, portable hydrogen refueling stations. Without ZEI’s FTcase, odds are the hydrogen-powered CR-V wouldn’t be able to compete. Since hydrogen infrastructure hasn’t exactly taken the nation by storm, the alternative fuel source has fallen by the wayside simply due to infrastructure and cost, but not everyone has written it off completely. Several automakers are still researching and developing hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Now, with the military dipping its toes into the water, it’s only a matter of time before we see fuel cells fulfilling logistical needs where battery-electric power isn’t feasible.

Toyota has unveiled its GR LH2 Racing Concept featuring a hydrogen engine paired with a hybrid system at the Circuit de la Sarthe days ahead of the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans race. The GR LH2 is designed to advance the development of hydrogen tech in motorsports and mark the 40th anniversary of the automaker’s first Le Mans run. According to Toyota, the GR LH2 is based on its GR010 Hybrid Hypercar used in the World Endurance Championship, which includes the 24 Hours of Le Mans as its flagship event.

While Toyota didn’t provide many details on the concept’s powertrain or hydrogen system, they were built at Japan’s Higashi-Fuji Technical Centre. The chassis, the same as in the GR010, was manufactured at Toyota’s Gazoo Racing facility in Cologne, Germany. Toyota’s GR LH2 is the GR H2 Concept’s successor, and distinguishes itself from its predecessor with new bodywork, such as remodeled side intakes, a taller rear wing, and a larger fin. The LH2 also differs from the GR H2 with its striking white-and-blue livery and smaller front LED lights, but its greenhouse resembles the previous concept. Official measurements for the LH2 are 5100mm (200.7 inches) in length and 2050mm (80.7 inches) in width.

The minds behind Toyota’s GR LH2 Racing Concept

“Toyota has been the pioneer for hydrogen combustion engine technology since 2021 in Super Taikyu racing in Japan,” said Kazuki Nakajima, former F1 driver and Team Director and Vice Chairman of Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe. Toyota’s sister team, Rookie Racing, participated in the Japanese Super Taikyu series in 2021 with a gaseous hydrogen-engine Corolla, before switching to a liquid hydrogen-powered car in 2023. In 2022, Toyota displayed the potential of hydrogen engines in rally racing with a GR Yaris H2 at the Ypres Rally in the FIA World Rally Championship. A year later, the hydrogen-engine Corolla completed a demonstration lap at Circuit de la Sarthe, and the GR H2 Racing Concept was showcased to preview a potential hydrogen category at Le Mans. 

The GR H2 was a static concept, but the GR LH2 is a running test car. Nakajima noted that Toyota has been pushing to introduce hydrogen as energy while maintaining a racing engine’s noise, sensation, and vibration. Toyota Gazoo Racing endurance driver and team principal Kamui Kobayashi said Toyota’s performance division made the GR LH2 to highlight future carbon-neutral possibilities while enhancing its motorsport presence.

Final thoughts

Toyota’s decision to limit information released on the new GR LH2 could signal noteworthy progress on its hydrogen initiatives. Since 2021, Toyota has continually built on its hydrogen innovation in motorsport, and the GR LH2’s ability to function as a running test car is another significant step. Kamui Kobayashi, Nyck Devries, and Mike Conway will compete for Toyota Gazoo Racing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans’ Hypercar event from June 14 to 15.

Fresh from Acura announcing a hotted-up Integra Type S with more than 360 horsepower for the 2025 edition of The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, parent company Honda has now announced its contender. But while the Integra is entered in the Time Attack 1 class, Honda’s baby will only be in the Exhibition class. That’s because Honda is doing something nobody has ever done before: compete at the Race to the Clouds with a hydrogen-powered vehicle, specifically a CR-V e:FCEV.

Honda Has Changed Nothing In The Powertrain

View the 3 images of this gallery on the original article

To prove the viability of the system in competition, and to hopefully set a competitive time, Honda has enlisted the services of Pikes Peak class-winner and two-time Formula Drift champion Dai Yoshihara to drive the CR-V, which has the exact same powertrain as the production car you or I could buy at a dealer tomorrow. The fuel cell is produced in Michigan and is connected to a front-mounted single motor, a 17.7 kWh battery pack, and two high-pressure hydrogen tanks. Although competitors only get one timed run up the Colorado mountain, the CR-V will do some shakedown and test runs, so it needs a mobile hydrogen storage system provided by Zero Emission Industries. Interestingly, the fastest car in the Exhibition class last year was also electrified, though in a more traditional sense. Dani Sordo from Spain drove a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N TA Spec to glory with a time of 9:30.852. The CR-V may not achieve the same, but it has some special tools to try.

Suspension And Safety Gear For The Big Mountain

View the 3 images of this gallery on the original article

In 1994, Honda won the first-ever EV Class at Pikes Peak with a converted Civic wagon, setting a time of 15:44.7. Five years later, it reentered with a race-prepped EV Plus, again taking the win (15:19.9), and in 2014, Honda returned with an electric Honda Fit for yet another win. It also set a new race record for electric vehicles at 12:55.6. The following year, a quad-motor Honda CR-Z-based concept won the Exhibition Class with a time of 10:23.8, and in 2016, a four-motor concept with the body of an NSX achieved a stunning 9:06.1

In order to try to achieve similar success, Yoshihara-san’s CR-V gets its suspension lowered by an inch and fitted with a racing seat and a safety cage, with the rest of the cabin stripped out to save weight. Lightweight 18-inch wheels with Yokohama Advan A052 rubber measuring 265/45R18 at each corner are slowed by racing brake pads of unspecified origin.

We don’t expect the CR-V to come anywhere close to a record this year, but you can be certain that Honda will use what it learns at Pikes Peak to further hydrogen technology both on and off the racetrack. We’ll see the radical CR-V e:FCEV take to the 156-turn, 12.42-mile mountain course on June 22.

Is hydrogen back? Well, Toyota thinks so and has staked a sizeable portion of its future on the Mirai fuel-cell sedan. Yet just 74 U.S. pumps feel like an oasis in California’s desert—drivers outside L.A. and the Bay Area must reroute for every fill. Dreaming of coast-to-coast freedom? Half the Golden State still can’t find a nozzle without a detour. Can this new run at consumer-oriented hydrogen FCVs be more than a mirage?

Real-World Range and High Fuel Costs Raise Concerns

Toyota’s 402-mile EPA claim for the Mirai dazzled in March, but real-world drivers settle for closer to 320 miles under mixed conditions. Paying $36 per kilogram of H₂ in California pushes your per-mile cost past $0.60. That’s enough to make any commuter flinch when the pump light winks on.

By comparison, EV drivers pay about $0.05 per mile charging at home or roughly $0.10 per mile at public DC fast stations, while gasoline drivers incur around $0.14 per mile at $3.50/gal and 25 mpg.

Fast Fills, Long Waits: The Hydrogen Refueling Catch

EV owners endure 30-minute DC fast stops yet console themselves with having access to 30,000+ U.S. fast chargers. Mirai fans brag about a five-minute fill, then cross fingers for a working station, and then hope for no lines up ahead. That five-minute thrill can morph into a half-hour headache when infrastructure vanishes.

Toyota Bets Big on Hydrogen with Next-Gen Tech and Investments

Toyota’s third-gen fuel-cell system ups efficiency by 20% and cuts stack costs 30%, backed by $200 million in new plants and 5,600+ patents. Big rigs, buses and ships eye hydrogen’s energy density where batteries buckle. By skipping 20,000-lb battery packs, fuel-cell semis reclaim precious payload capacity—a lifeline for fleet operators that’s already spurring hydrogen-corridor pilots from coast to coast. As trucking giants and ports install high-capacity H₂ pumps, Mirai owners could reap the benefits of the very infrastructure designed to keep big rigs rolling. Where the semis go, so too Mirai.

Interestingly, Wall Street is betting the FCV market will explode from $2.5 billion today to $30 billion by 2032, seasoning Toyota’s multi-hundred-million-dollar wager. Despite earlier setbacks by other automakers, analysts now view Toyota as the true first mover in the hydrogen era. The Mirai has become a big bet, one that even Wall Street is backing.

Incentives Sweeten the Deal but Risks Remain for Buyers

Toyota’s Mirai isn’t just a concept. The second-gen Mirai has been on sale since late 2020, and the all-new 2025 model went on sale this spring, exclusively in California (only where hydrogen stations exist). You can order one now, with Toyota even sweetening the deal with up to $15,000 off complimentary hydrogen through 2031 or six years of free fuel.

Owning a Mirai today means tying your daily commute, resale value and weekend escapes to Toyota’s still-sketchy pump network. If you crave silent, zero-emission miles and you’re ready to pay a premium for pioneering status, schedule a test drive now. Just prepare your route around the stations that will make or break your hydrogen promise.

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles have largely fallen on their faces with mass-market models gaining little traction among consumers. Even so, some automakers, including Toyota, Hyundai, and BMW, are still pushing forward with hydrogen fuel cell research and development. Hydrogen bus trials are still ongoing in regions around the world, and while some have found success, others have faced significant obstacles.

Two more transit agencies have ended their hydrogen bus trials

Essen and Mülheim are the latest transit agencies to end their hydrogen bus trials after fuel station subsidies fell through. Combined, the two cities own 19 hydrogen buses, all of which will now need to travel 89 km (55 miles) to refuel. This massive bump in the road comes as no surprise to anyone who has glimpsed at hydrogen fuel cell vehicle trials over the past few years.

Hydrogen bus trials have ground to a halt or been subject to cancellation throughout Europe and the United Kingdom. Brussels, Belgium, called it quits back in 2023 due to high fuel costs and supply chain issues. Wiesbaden, Germany’s hydrogen bus program ended in 2022 after the station ran out of funds. In Aberdeen, United Kingdom, hydrogen buses haven’t been in use since summer 2024 due to a lack of fuel deliveries.

Just because hydrogen bus trials have failed doesn’t mean cities are giving up on zero-emission public transportation, though. In the United Kingdom, London, Birmingham, Liverpool, and Brighton are all making the transition to battery-electric buses due to the high operation costs of hydrogen bus fleets. Wuppertal, Germany, and Pau, France, are making the switch to electric buses as well.

Battery-electric buses are cheaper to operate

While hydrogen buses help reduce air pollution and are better for the environment, they’re expensive to operate. Per a 2023 report from Transport for London (TfL), the cost to operate a hydrogen bus is nearly double that of diesel at £1.50 versus £0.80 per mile. Notably, battery-electric buses have the lowest operation cost of £0.65 per mile.

Of course, the whole point of hydrogen-powered vehicles isn’t to reduce operational costs. By using hydrogen as a fuel source, commercial vehicles that see heavy use on a daily basis, like buses, don’t add more pollutants to the environment. Increased costs were bound to come with the transition from fossil fuels to an alternate fuel source, regardless of what it is. You have to build out an entirely new fueling infrastructure, after all. Unfortunately for hydrogen, electricity has proven to be the better of the two.

According to Transport and Environment, one of Europe’s leading advocates for clean energy and transportation, half of the new city buses will be zero-emission in 2024. While hydrogen fuel cell buses saw an uptick in popularity by three percent, battery-electric models proved the most popular, holding a 46% market share. All zero-emission urban buses in Finland, Iceland, and the Netherlands were powered by electricity in 2024. Germany added the most new hydrogen-powered buses to its fleet in 2024, coming in at 9%. In total, just six countries added hydrogen buses to their fleets.

With plenty of hydrogen bus trials on the books, most of which resulted in failure, it’s clear the world prefers electrification to hydrogen. After ending the double-decker hydrogen bus program, for example, the TfL made the switch to battery-electric buses. Cost wasn’t the only issue in the equation, though. Gaps and delays in the supply chain and refueling issues played key roles in the program’s cancellation as well.

Some hydrogen bus trials show potential

Not all hydrogen bus trials have been a bust, though. Some areas have seen success, while others are simply continuing their trials despite high operational costs. Those that have seen success with hydrogen-powered bus fleets have one thing in common: a steady source of hydrogen.

Hydrogen as a fuel can be produced in a couple of ways, but the most common is through electrolysis. Electrolysis essentially acts as a reverse fuel cell. While a hydrogen fuel cell combines oxygen and hydrogen to emit water, electrolysis splits the two elements apart instead.

Auxerre, France, is home to a station that produces fuel through electrolysis. Since they have a stable fuel source, they plan to double their hydrogen-powered fleet from five to ten buses. A stable hydrogen fuel source doesn’t necessarily mean hydrogen buses are cost-effective, though. Bolzano, Italy, has an on-site electrolysis facility, but it still costs twice as much to operate a hydrogen bus compared to a battery-electric model.

Cologne has undoubtedly seen the most success with its hydrogen bus trials. The city is home to the largest hydrogen fleet in Europe, with over 100 buses in its arsenal. Hydrogen is produced as an industrial byproduct of the region’s chemical industry, making it the ideal area to operate a hydrogen bus fleet.

There are more hydrogen bus trials coming

Despite mixed hydrogen bus trial results, more are yet to come. Solaris Bus & Coach recently secured a contract to supply the region of Île-de-France with 22 new hydrogen buses as part of the region’s pilot program. Île-de-France is home to more than 12 million people as of 2023, making it the most populous region in France.

While France has at least some precedent for its hydrogen bus trials, other countries are just getting their feet wet. India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy recently announced it will begin hydrogen-powered bus trials with up to 37 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and nine refuelling stations in major urban hubs, including Delhi and Mumbai. Saudi Arabia and Hyundai are collaborating on a trial run of the automaker’s new hydrogen fuel cell bus in the country’s Eastern Province.

Over on our side of the pond, hydrogen bus trials are well underway, but have a very narrow area in which they can operate. Currently, the vast majority of, if not all, hydrogen refuelling stations in North America are located in California. Washington could be getting a few hydrogen fueling stations of its own, though. In May 2024, Community Transit announced it would begin hydrogen bus trials in Snohomish County, with plans to expand the zero-emission fleet to 19 hydrogen and 40 electric buses by 2027.

Final thoughts

Setting up the infrastructure to support any transition from fossil fuels was always going to be costly, but many transit authorities seem to be oblivious to the true cost. Hydrogen fuel cell buses are proving expensive to operate, especially if hydrogen fuel isn’t readily available. As a result, many cities are pivoting to battery-electric buses to save on fuel costs and cut down on pollutants simultaneously. Considering the infrastructure to support EVs is already in place in many urban areas, and is rapidly expanding in others, electric buses seem like the obvious solution.

Not only will rumors of the Hyundai N Vision 74 concept not die, Hyundai is now officially a reason they persist. During the Hyundai Group’s recent CEO Investor Day focused on plans to double the company’s hybrid lineup, one presentation included the slide above, labeled, “EV Full Lineup: Provide customers with a wide range of options from mass-market to luxury/high-performance models.” Under a subheading of “Launch 21 models by 2030, the examples shown included four models from two of the group’s three brands. Two of the models are already out: The electric Hyundai Inster sold in markets like Europe and Australia, and the Ioniq N. Two others are imminent, the Ioniq 9 SUV and Genesis GV60 Magma. But one model in the high-performance EV category isn’t shown — but is named: The Hyundai N (vision 74). 

Hyundai showed the concept in July 2022 on its performance-focused N-Day, along with an Ioniq 6 N rolling laboratory called the RN22e. The N74 shared the same basic shape of the 1974 Hyundai Pony Coupe concept designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, its mien modernized and sharpened for the 21st century. Blistered fenders could have come off an old IMSA racer, pixel lights, and Turbofan wheels gave it a look that 1980s sci-fi wanted, but didn’t have the technology at the time, to be. Propulsion came from two electric motors on the rear axle, total output north of 670 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque. Energy came from a 62.4-kWh battery pack and a 4.2-kg hydrogen fuel tank tied to an 85-kW fuel-cell stack. Hyundai estimated range at more than 373 miles.

After the first round of rumors about production kicked off in May 2023, we gave our opinion: “Pony up, Hyundai. Build the N Vision 74 concept.” Hyundai denied the reports and said the N will not be a production car. The rumors continued to the end of the year, took a little break, then continued in May of this year. By that time, the street-legal version was expected to arrive in 2026, come with the concept’s dual-electric powertrain, put out more than 775 hp, be limited to roughly 100 or 200 units, a portion to be campaigned in a race series in the U.S. and Europe, and cost around $374,000 apiece at today’s exchange rates. 

All we know about how close the company’s actual plans for the car fit the rumors are on the above slide. We’d think it a shame if Hyundai really made a couple hundred of them that would sit in collector garages or Bonhams auction catalogs. However, if Hyundai sold a high-dollar technology showcase that turned into a pure battery-electric version at a welcoming price, we wouldn’t complain. Or, since the concept was reportedly built on a modified Kia Stinger platform, we know a performance hybrid contradicts the title of the slide, but we wouldn’t complain about that, either. 

Japanese motorcycle manufacturer Kawasaki has invested a substantial amount of money into electric drivetrains, but it’s not ready to ditch the internal combustion engine. It unveiled a prototype powered by an experimental, hydrogen-burning supercharged four-cylinder engine.

Development work started in 2022, according to enthusiast website Motorcycle, and Kawasaki became the first company to publicly test a hydrogen-burning motorcycle when it showcased its prototype on the Suzuka track in Japan. Power comes from a 998-cubic-centimeter supercharged four-cylinder that’s related to the engine found in the Ninja H2, but it has been modified to burn hydrogen. On paper, this sounds a lot like what Toyota is testing. In contrast, companies like BMW use hydrogen to generate electricity in a hybrid-like drivetrain.

While the experimental Corolla looks a lot like the model sitting on your nearest dealer’s lot, the Kawasaki prototype stands out with a highly futuristic design characterized by sharp curves. It’s more difficult to integrate hydrogen storage tanks in a motorcycle than in a car. In this application, hydrogen is stored in a pair of luggage case-like tanks positioned behind the rider. It’s lighter than gasoline, so the location of the tanks shouldn’t have a catastrophic effect on weight distribution, but it’s not as dense so Kawasaki needs bigger tanks to achieve the same range. We’re told that the prototype’s chassis is entirely new; it was developed from the ground up with hydrogen technology in mind.

Technical specifications such as horsepower, riding range, and weight haven’t been released. However, project leader Satoaki Ichi noted that the prototype should feel and sound a lot like a regular gasoline-burning motorcycle with a few added benefits. “Hydrogen burns more quickly and under a wider range of conditions than gasoline, making it possible to create a more responsive feeling than ever,” he said.

Hydrogen-powered motorcycles face the same major hurdle as hydrogen-powered cars: the lack of an infrastructure. With that in mind, there’s no word yet on what the future holds for Kawasaki’s prototype, let alone when we’ll see it in showrooms. Kawasaki is working with rivals Suzuki, Honda, and Yamaha on the technology, but Ichi stressed that the project remains at the embryonic stage of development.

Toyota offered enormous deals on the 2023 Mirai fuel cell electric vehicle earlier this year, the combination of savings adding up to cash back for buyers on paper. One month after raising MSRPs on the 2024 Mirai and four days after Shell announced it was closing its light-duty hydrogen refilling stations in California, Toyota offered $40,000 in APR Subvention Cash off the top trim 2023 Mirai Limited to clear inventory and get shoppers on the hydrogen highway. The Limited stickered for about $68,000, taking the price below $30,000. Factor in the hydrogen fuel refilling card with $15,000 on it that’s good for six years, and a 0% APR financing offer from Toyota Financial Services, suddenly a Mirai could be parked in the home carport for $13,000 before taxes and fees.      

Cars Direct says a dealer bulletin outlines an offer that is almost as sweet, but for the 2024 Mirai. The newest round of savings comes via APR Cash, putting $33,000 on the hood of the upper Limited trim or $25,000 on the hood of the base XLE trim. At current pricing, the Limited would come down to about $35,000, the XLE would come down to about $26,000. This promotion can also be combined with the $15,000 hydrogen fuel card and the offer of 0% financing for 72 months through Toyota Financial for approved customers.

The Mirai is only sold in California, which is also the only state with public hydrogen fuel pumps for light-duty passenger vehicles. Shell’s move seems to have choked Mirai sales this year, as well as those for the similarly powered Hyundai Nexo. SoCal Toyota dealers moved between 2,000 and 3,000 Mirais in each of the past three years; through the first six months of this year, less than 250 have made it off dealer lots. Over at Hyundai, 408 Nexos found good homes in 2022, 241 Nexos got rehomed in 2023, through the end of June this year, the number is less than 80 units.

If you’re tempted to take Toyota up on what might be the best deal on any new vehicle today, Cars Direct says the promotion runs until July 31.

Grilling season has officially started, and Toyota believes it has the answer to the decades-old “charcoal versus propane” debate: None of the above. The brand teamed up with an appliance company named Rinnai to build what it calls the world’s first hydrogen-powered stone oven. And, because not everyone has a gig as a pizzaiolo listed somewhere on their resume, it also built a small hydrogen-burning barbecue.

Even for Rinnai, a Japanese brand that celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2020, making a hydrogen-powered cooker was easier said than done. There’s nothing like it on the market, so there are no safety standards to use as guidelines. That’s why Toyota enlisted a partner: it knows how to make hydrogen-powered cars that don’t explode and Rinnai knows how to make ovens and furnaces that don’t explode.

The oven features technology derived from the Mirai, including the system used to supply and monitor hydrogen. It also relies on the same type of control system that Rinnai puts in its furnaces. Precisely how it works hasn’t been detailed, but Toyota notes that hydrogen, which has a high combustion temperature, combines with oxygen to produce steam as it burns. Visually, the stone oven looks like a regular pizza oven with a dome, a chimney, and a half-circle-shaped slot that the pizza goes into. It’s on wheels, so it can be moved around as needed.

Toyota’s employees have been testing the oven by making pizzas and croissants. The brand hasn’t published its dough recipe yet, however.

Toyota argues that cooking with hydrogen makes food taste better. “Take things like mushrooms and vegetables. While these ingredients tend to dry out on a wood or charcoal barbecue, hydrogen cooks more quickly, leaving them bursting with moisture and delicious flavors.”

Beyond better-cooked portobello mushrooms, Toyota hopes you’ll buy a hydrogen-powered car after grilling with a hydrogen barbecue. In the Japanese company’s words, “making hydrogen feel like part of every day life is a crucial first step in creating a hydrogen society.” 

There’s no word on whether Toyota and Rinnai will bring their hydrogen-powered stone oven to the market, or if it’s going to remain at the prototype stage (much to the delight of the employees assigned to the project). As for the barbecue, the company has already started using it at motorsport events like the WRC Rally Challenge, which is a program it started in 2015 to prepare young rookie drivers for rally racing.

The 2025 Honda CR-V e:FCEV hydrogen-powered SUV now has pricing. Since the fuel cell-equipped CR-V won’t be offered for outright purchase, the pricing only consists of lease deals, and there are three different options. We’ve listed each one below.

• 3 years / 36,000 miles; $459 / month; $2,959 at signing; $15,000 of fuel
• 6 years / 72,000 miles; $389 / month; $2,889 at signing; $30,000 of fuel
• 2 years / 60,000 miles; $489 / month; $2,989 at signing; $25,000 of fuel

Honda says its rates are based on an estimated $50,000 MSRP for the CR-V. And as you can see, the lease includes hydrogen fuel up to a certain cost throughout the lease. Furthermore, the lease includes 21 days of car rental within California from Avis.

There are really only two other hydrogen fuel cell car options available: the Toyota Mirai and the Hyundai Nexo. Both are also only available in California, which isn’t that unfortunate since you can’t really get hydrogen easily outside of select California metro areas. The Mirai and Nexo are, however, available to purchase outright. The Mirai starts at $51,285, and it includes $15,000 worth of fuel over six years when purchased outright, or over three years when leased. The Hyundai Nexo starts at $61,470. And just like the Mirai, purchase includes $15,000 of fuel over six years, and the lease shortens the span to three years.

On the topic of fueling, the CR-V has a bonus feature. While all fuel cell vehicles are technically electric cars, just with a fuel cell to generate the electricity, the CR-V includes a larger battery than either the Toyota or the Hyundai. It comes in at 17.7 kWh, and Honda claims it can provide 29 miles of range on a charge alone. That battery can be charged up at home if desired, and since hydrogen fueling can occasionally be inconvenient, stretching that tank could be really beneficial. 

The CR-V is also only offered in a single trim and spec level, so you don’t have the option of picking more loaded options like with the Toyota and Hyundai. But it does come with a number of nice features including faux leather upholstery, heated steering wheel and front seats, wireless phone charging, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual-zone automatic climate control, a 12-speaker Bose sound system, and a 1,500-watt power outlet.

Per this latest report, the production version will arrive for the 2026 model year packing a rear-wheel-drive architecture. The fuel cell stack will power electric motors with a combined output of more than 775 horsepower, propelling the car to 62 mph in 3.0 seconds or less. That matches up pretty nicely with what we were told back when the concept debuted, however, the dual-motor setup in the concept was only claimed to produce 670 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque. If this report is accurate, it would suggest that Hyundai’s engineers have been quietly dialing up the wick as the N74 moves closer to production.

And while it’s nominally a fuel-cell vehicle, there’s still a battery involved. When the concept was revealed, Hyundai said its 62.4-kWh battery pack would allow for decent range by itself, but the 85-kilowatt fuel cell stack acts as a massive range extender with its own 4.2-kg hydrogen fuel tank. Hyundai’s engineers even suggested it would be capable of charging like a plug-in hybrid, meaning it would still be possible to operate the N74 as an all-electric vehicle when hydrogen refueling is not available. Hyundai suggested the total range for the N Vision 74 would be more than 370 miles.

Total production will be limited to just 200 units (up from 100 as previously reported) and KED suggests that the price for the N74 would be around 500 million Korean won, or approximately $365,000 at the current exchange rate, putting it comfortably in unobtanium territory with the likes of the Cadillac Celestiq. 

The concept truck is interesting for a couple of reasons, the first being that the fuel cell in the tractor is the same one in the Honda CR-V e:FCEV. Honda developed the cells with GM, they’re built in a plant in Brownstown, Michigan the automakers jointly own. The truck uses three of the fuel cell systems, each producing 80 kilowatts, for 240 kW in total, or 322 horsepower. That isn’t the vital figure here. The fuel cells charge a 120-kilowatt-hour battery; fuel cells don’t like uneven discharge rates, so they run at a steady state to charge the battery, and the battery deals with the fluctuating needs of the electric motors. Honda didn’t provide output figures for the motors, though, nor say how many motors the truck uses. The fuel cells are fed by a tank holding 181 pounds of hydrogen at about 10,000 PSI, good for an estimated 400 miles of range when at a fully loaded weight of just over 82,000 pounds. Of that loaded weight, the tractor accounts for about 28,500 pounds, leaving nearly 53,000 pounds for the trailer and cargo weight. That’s about in line with the Tesla Semi, both trucks used for intraday runs, not long-haul over-the-road trucking. Top speed is 70 miles per hour. 

The second interesting aspect is that Honda doesn’t sell Class 8 trucks in the U.S. market; should this one come to production, it would be the first. The company admits it is “actively seeking business collaborations and customers to help bring these hydrogen fuel cell solutions to market here in North America,” the lure being huge fuel savings. The timing of the fuel savings would depend on who has to pay for the hydrogen infrastructure, though. Honda’s plan is to penetrate four markets with the fuel cells system: Light-duty vehicles, commercial vehicles, construction equipment and stationary power stations. On the construction note, Honda will also be showing its Autonomous Work Vehicle (AWV), an autonomous or remote-controlled battery-electric cart that can carry up to 880 pounds, designed to perform repetitive tasks at worksites. Honda will use its ACT Expo show stand to promote the strategy laid out early this year, to “expand its hydrogen business and achieve its global goal of zero environmental impact, including carbon neutrality for all products and corporate activities by 2050.”

Related video:

The Financial Times‘ Future of the Car summit assembled 82 speakers from all over the transportation cosmos for three days of panels. One of those speakers was Lynn Calder, CEO of Ineos Automotive, and she had stories to tell about the company’s plan “to stick to what we know but get bigger.”

As covered by Motor Trend, what Ineos knows (for now) is hardcore off-roaders, and the road to expansion adheres to that singular core competence. The first step in expansion after the Grenadier wagon and Quartermaster pickup will be the Fusilier midsize SUV, revealed in February and due on the market in 2027. Engineered on a skateboard platform — a departure from the ladder-frame chassis of its larger siblings — the Fusiler will be offered as a battery-electric vehicle and a range-extended EV.

Offering details on the powertrains, Calder said the BEV would get about 250 miles on a charge, likely a number derived on the WLTP cycle, Ineos being English and the summit being held in London. The REV variants would get a smaller battery good for about 170 miles on its own, the fuel-powered generator used only to replenish the pack, not turn the wheels.

After that, the automotive arm of the Ineos petrochemical conglomerate is plotting two more SUVs to bracket the Grenadier — one larger, one smaller. These reportedly won’t be as all-out focused on the trail as the Grenadier. We’re just guessing, but if the Grenadier/Quartermaster pair are Wrangler/Gladiator competitors, the larger truck might go more explicit on the luxury to challenge the Grand Cherokee L. We’re not sure where the smaller SUV lands. The Grenadier is 191.2 inches long, about three inches beyond a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. The Fusilier is 178 inches long, 10 inches longer than a Wrangler two-door, eight inches longer than a Defender 90, five inches longer than a Bronco two-door. Clearly, 13 inches is plenty of room to slot in another four-door model with a slightly different focus, or who knows, maybe it’s a two-door even shorter than the Fusilier. Calder didn’t say what kinds of architectures these two new vehicles would sit on, however, like the Fusilier, they’d be engineered to accept different kinds of powertrains.     

To make the most of these plans and the balance sheet, Calder said the company’s considering a U.S. factory. At the moment, Ineos owns a single plant in Hambach, France. With the States already accounting for the most Grenadier and Quartermaster orders, building here would help feed the growth aspirations and avoid the 25% tariff on importing the Quartermaster from France. Or, hey, if Ineos could make that small, hard working, reasonably priced pickup that an increasing number of truck buyers have been begging for for at least 15 years, Ineos could build a bank vault next to that U.S. factory.

The decision on a local facility could be a couple years out, depending on where the Fusilier will be built. The Hambach plant is said to max out at 50,000 Grenadiers and Quatermasters annually, combined, when on three shifts, but those are larger vehicles than the Fusilier, built on a different platform. Wherever the factory ends up — China being the mentioned alternative — it will begin to fulfill Ineos Automotive’s goal of 300,000 sales per year globally with ten years. 

Calder believes that, within a decade, Ineos could be selling 200,000 to 300,000 vehicles worldwide

no plans to build anything other than off-road capable 4×4 vehicles. 

Alpine has become the latest carmaker to tacitly admit the future might not be entirely electric after all. The brand, which is owned by Renault and which should head to the American market by 2030, has detailed an experimental race car powered by a hydrogen-burning engine.

We say “detailed” rather than “unveiled” because we’ve already seen this concept: it made its debut as the Alpenglow at the 2022 edition of the Paris auto show. Nearly two years later, much has changed including some of the finer design details, the name (it received the “HY4” suffix), and, crucially, the powertrain. What sounded like little more than a vague simulation in 2022 now has a full set of specifications.

Shaped a lot like a Le Mans racer, perhaps intentionally, the Alpenglow HY4 is a running and driving laboratory built around a carbon fiber monocoque and powered by a turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that develops 340 horsepower. The engine burns hydrogen, has a 7,000-rpm redline, and is bolted to a sequential transmission with a centrifugal clutch. Alpine claims that its performance is on par with a gasoline-powered 2.0-liter four and quotes a top speed of 167 mph. Burning hydrogen instead of gasoline is harder than it sounds, however.

Hydrogen reaches the cylinders in gas form, so it’s more difficult to create a homogeneous mixture than when working with a liquid fuel. Safety is a concern as well: Alpine stores hydrogen in three 700-bar tanks integrated into the sides and the rear of the Alpenglow. There’s a pressure-regulating system that gradually lowers the pressure from 700 to 200 and finally 40 bars before the hydrogen reaches the engine.

Alpine’s Alpenglow HY4 concept will make its public debut on May 11, 2024, at the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps endurance race; it will be showcased in front of about 70,000 spectators but it will not participate in the competition. The brand claims this is “the perfect opportunity to demonstrate how a hydrogen-powered internal-combustion engine perpetuates the sounds and vibrancy that are the emotional aspects of a racing car.” The concept will also make several demonstration runs during the 24 Hours of Le Mans taking place in France in June 2024.

What’s next depends on a number of factors, including regulations. For its part, Alpine claims this technology “is a tremendously promising solution for racing and road use.” Renault, the Paris-based brand that owns Alpine, agrees: it’s “considering various ways” to use what it calls “the hydrogen solution” across its portfolio, including in a hybrid application that pairs a hydrogen fuel cell with an electric motor.

Alpine chose to bypass the fuel cell for the Alpenglow HY4. It notes that burning hydrogen, rather than using it to make the electricity needed to zap a motor into motion, has several advantages. It notably feels similar to a gasoline-burning engine from the driver’s perspective, and it sounds similar from the spectator’s perspective. This technology is also easier to cool and delivers excellent efficiency under heavy loads.

Last but not least, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest — the sanctioning body that organizes the 24 Hours of Le Mans — will allow hydrogen-powered cars to compete in the race starting in 2027. It’s likely not a coincidence that the Alpenglow looks like a Le Mans racer, then.

Related video:

Honda is returning to the hydrogen-car sector with a fuel-cell-powered evolution of the CR-V. While some companies build hydrogen-electric models to learn about the technology, the Japanese automaker stresses that the CR-V e:FCEV is a regular-production model with a usable amount of driving range running on hydrogen, electricity, or both, and all of the creature comforts that buyers expect to find in a car in 2024.

Design details such as a powertrain-specific front end with a smaller grille and a larger lower air intake help set the e:FCEV apart from the standard CR-V. It’s a similar story inside, where the basic layout is carried over from the sixth-generation model released for the 2023 model year. There’s room for five passengers, which is impressive considering the hydrogen-electric drivetrain takes up considerably more space than a four-cylinder engine and a fuel tank, a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, and a nine-inch touchscreen for the infotainment system, which is compatible with wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto. Heated and power-adjustable front seats come standard.

Honda developed the powertrain jointly with General Motors. The system consists of two hydrogen storage tanks (one under the rear seats and the other under the trunk floor), a fuel cell and an electric motor, both located under the hood, and a 17.7-kilowatt-hour battery pack integrated into the floor. Honda has dabbled in hydrogen technology for over 20 years, and it leveraged this expertise when developing the new system that powers the e:FCEV. It notes that the drivetrain is more durable, more efficient, and less costly to build than its predecessor.

The system sends 174 horsepower and 229 pound-feet of torque to the front wheels; all-wheel drive isn’t available. Honda notes that filling up the tanks with a total of 4.3 pounds of hydrogen returns a maximum driving range of 270 miles. In this configuration, gaseous hydrogen enters the fuel cell, where it reacts with oxygen to create the electricity that drives the wheels. Alternatively, users can plug in the e:FCEV like an electric car to recharge the battery pack and drive for up to 29 miles on electricity alone. Honda argues this setup gives motorists the best of both worlds: They can use the CR-V e:FCEV as an electric car to commute, and they can switch to hydrogen power for longer trips.

Building a CR-V that runs on hydrogen required re-engineering the suspension system and the chassis. Engineers increased rear lateral rigidity by 10%, increased rear torsional rigidity by 9%, and fitted the model with specific springs, dampers, and stabilizer bars on both ends. 

Made in Marysville, Ohio, the CR-V e:FCEV will be available later in 2024. There’s a catch: You won’t be able to buy one, as it will only be distributed through lease plans. There’s another catch: The model will initially only be offered in California. Honda hasn’t revealed when (let alone if) drivers in other states will be able to lease one, but it clarified that it plans to invest a substantial amount of resources into hydrogen technology in the coming years. It notably sees applications in the commercial trucking, construction, and space exploration sectors.

The Pininfarina Enigma GT just landed at the 2024 Geneva Motor Show, and Enigma is a pretty good name for this funky grand tourer. As you can tell from the photos, the Enigma GT is very much a concept car. It’s here as a preview for more to come by Pininfarina in 2025 where the company intends to celebrate its 95th anniversary.

This 2+2 Pininfarina gets its motivation via a hydrogen-powered internal combustion engine, which isn’t unheard of, but still not the typical for hydrogen-powered cars these days. Pininfarina says it’s a mid-rear engine layout, which puts the 2.5-liter turbocharged V6 behind the rear passengers for an optimal weight balance. The engine drives the rear wheels, while an electric motor drives the front for all-wheel drive. Acceleration from 0-62 mph is claimed to be under 4.0 seconds – power numbers are good, as Pininfarina says the engine produces 436 horsepower and the electric motor produces 268 ponies on its own. We don’t know what sort of test cycle it might pertain to, but Pininfarina says mixed-use driving will return approximately 342 miles of range, and refueling the hydrogen tank is claimed to take 5-6 minutes.

Pininfarina put together a design that is both exotic and efficient with a drag coefficient of just 0.24. It achieves this through active grille shutters, active front wheel deflectors, an auto-adjusting rear wing and a very small frontal area – thank the mid-rear engine layout for that last one. Weight is kept down despite the complexity of the powertrain through the use of a carbon fiber monocoque – Pininfarina says the concept weighs 3,725 pounds.

The interior’s canopy opening solution is said to be inspired by other famous Pininfarina designs like the Ferrari 512 S Modulo, Abarth 2000 Coupe and more. It’s a sporty interior with sharply sculpted seats, flashy colors and a race car-like steering wheel. Of course, it’s also dominated by screens. Pininfarina says the main screen that stretches from side to side is an OLED panel. There’s a separate screen at hands-reach for vital car control functions, and the steering wheel is full of touch-control buttons, too. The screen overload doesn’t stop there, though, as the entire windshield is an AR landscape. As you can see in the photos, Pininfarina will overlay a boatload of information onto the windshield in an effort to better inform the driver and help them on their journey. There’s even an autonomous driving mode meant for long-distance travel.

Pininfarina tell us that it’s still holding details and design ideas back on this car that will be fully realized come a new interpretation in 2025, so stay tuned to see what this Enigma has to offer next.

Life’s always been tough on hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEV), and it’s only getting tougher thanks to Shell announcing the closure of its retail refilling stations in California. Hydrogen Insight reported that the energy company ran seven stations for consumer FCEV owners, six of them shut down immediately because of “supply complications and other external market factors.” One light-duty retail station in Torrance remains open at the time of writing while Shell tries to find a buyer (that would be the same one, pictured above, that Autoblog editor James Riswick found to be closed due to maintenance and ongoing parts shortages).

The moves leave Shell with three hydrogen stations in operation in California, exclusively for industry and heavy-duty vehicles. Shell will continue investing in that outlet for hydrogen, allotting $1 billion per year toward heavy duty H2 as well as atmospheric carbon capture and storage. On the consumer side, the focus will be on EV charging infrastructure.

The shutdown here comes two years after Shell did the same in the UK, and follows about six months of winding things down in California. In 2020, when a kilogram of H2 cost about $13, Shell proposed building 48 new stations in the state. California offered a grant of $40.6 million as incentive. Last September, Shell killed the plan and refused the grant money. Those funds, and $8 billion to be disbursed by the U.S. Energy Department in the Hydrogen Hub plan, couldn’t overcome the difficulties in permitting for stations, high build costs, fickle machinery, and ensuring consistent supply. 

There aren’t too many drivers tooling around in hydrogen-powered vehicles in the U.S., but every new hurdle like this makes it difficult to attract more. When we covered pricing for the 2024 Toyota Mirai, we wrote that the sedan comes with $15,000 in free hydrogen, but the price of a fill-up had gone from about $65 to $200. In a written statement to Automotive News, the automaker said after the Shell closures, “Toyota recognizes that certain Mirai customers in California may experience refueling challenges due to recent closures of hydrogen stations. We will continue to work with affected Mirai customers to help identify ways to address their concerns by a case-by-case basis,” and provided an 800 number for assistance. 

Cars Direct says that anyone interested in buying a Mirai can get even better enticement. One of the purchase deals is a cash rebate of up to $30,000, the even better deal is for financing and a rebate, up to $40,000 off the price and 0$ financing for five years. These are only applicable to the Limited trim that starts at $68,210; even so, it means potentially getting a very nice sedan with a 402-mile range and free refills for about the price of a Camry, if you’re, you know, cool with the hydrogen. The deals are said to be good until March 4. 

The Hydrogen Fuel Cell Partnership, which includes automakers Honda, Hyundai, and Toyota, along with industry players, said, “While this news will cause temporary challenges, we are seeing the Hydrogen Hubs and corridors develop, new vehicles being highlighted, and additional hydrogen infrastructure advancements occur that give optimism for hydrogen mobility as a significant tool in our global decarbonization efforts.”

There are around 54 retail stations remaining in the state after Shell’s departure. However, the partnership’s list of open stations shows just 33 actually dispensing high-pressure H70 at the time of writing.

The other two additions to the 2024 Mirai are a new Elemental Silver color and a Beyond Zero badge that gets an “FCEV” notation.

Prices rise a bit over 2023. MSRPs after the $1,025 destination fee, and changes from 2023, are:

• XLE: $51,215 ($690)
• Limited: $68,180 ($1,155)

On top of a regular warranty benefits, buyers receive perks like complimentary rental cars for 21 days per year for the first three years, extended ToyotaCare for three years or 35,000 miles, roadside assistance for up to ten years, California’s prized High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) sticker, and $15,000 in free hydrogen fuel for either three or six years depending on whether the car is leased or purchased. That $15,000 could last a few years into ownership, but it won’t go nearly as far as it used to; the price of hydrogen at retail stations has skyrocketed in the past few years. Hydrogen Insight wrote that in September 2023, a company called True Zero, which runs the largest network of H2 stations, raised prices to $36 per kilogram. The XLE trim gets an EPA-estimated 402 miles on a full tank of the gaseous element, the luxury oriented Limited can go an estimated 357 miles. The Mirai takes 5.6 kilograms, meaning a refill of five kilograms costs $180.

In April 2021, that same kilogram cost $13.14, just three cents above its price in 2019. S&P Global Commodity Insights said this week that the average price for hydrogen across all retail sellers in Southern California was $33.48 per kilogram on January 4. Part of the problem is infrastructure hiccups causing shortages. In November, the same outlet wrote, “Data from the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Partnership shows that 23 of the state’s 53 filling stations were offline at the time this article was published, including 15 out of 29 in the sprawling Greater Los Angeles area.”

If you’re wondering why the Mirai still exists, it’s because Toyota believes in a multi-fuel mix for the global transportation industry, and that hydrogen will be a part of it. Automaker chairman Akio Toyoda said this week he expects EV market share to reach no more than 30%; something’s got to fill in the blanks if gas-powered engines really get kiboshed. 

And hey, 2023 Mirai sales were 31% up over 2022, and the 2023 Mirai outsold the Toyota Supra last year, 2,737 units to 2,652. It also trounced the only other hydrogen-powered competitor, the Hyundai Nexo that found 241 buyers. Honda’s coming out with an FCEV CR-V to keep the Mirai company and bring a potential tipping point that much closer.

Hydrogen

Hyundai went most in-depth with its hydrogen work, and it certainly seems dedicated to making the fuel a major part of the renewable energy mix. It will be lumping basically every aspect of its hydrogen work including “production, storage, transportation, and utilization” under its HTWO brand (get it?). And among those categories, Hyundai will be working hard on the first few parts of that. It’s working on getting more companies involved with off-take deals (agreements to purchase hydrogen) to build up the demand-side of the market. Hyundai itself is aiming for using hydrogen in both powering steel production facilities and general electricity production.

It’s also developing PEM electrolyzers (Hyundai refers to it as “polymer-electrolyte membrane,” though it’s also referred to as “proton-exchange membrane”) for hydrogen production at “megawatt-scale.” These types of electrolyzers, as opposed to more common alkaline electrolyzers, have advantages in being more compact with longer-lasting electrolytes, rapid start-up and highly pure hydrogen production.

Furthermore on the production side, Hyundai’s HTWO is working on other methods for producing hydrogen from various waste. Some of that includes using biogas from organic wastes such as manure and food, and some of it comes from waste plastics by melting down and gasifying plastics to extract various elements from, leaving hydrogen gas.

Then on the utilization front, Hyundai will continue its implementation of commercial trucks and related infrastructure. It has already been operating XCIENT fuel cell trucks to the Port of Oakland, and later, it will also use similar trucks at the large EV factory its building in Georgia.

Software

Far more vague were Hyundai’s comments about its software plans. It referred to its desire to have software-defined everything, or “SDx.” Of course a big aspect of this is with “SDV” or software-defined vehicles. And what this means is Hyundai will be working on creating its own app market, making development kits available for people and companies to develop apps for Hyundai vehicles. Why should Apple and Google have all the app (and data and monetization) fun to themselves?

Hyundai also plans to further implement large-language model AI in its voice assistant and navigation technology. Plus, it plans to offer more information tools for fleet operators. Some of this development will play into Hyundai’s goals of providing autonomous vehicles and different ways to access vehicles.

Related Video:

Something about the Hyundai N Vision 74 fuel-cell electric concept car inspires a special kind of collective yearning. There have been several speculative reports of the vehicle going into production, followed by several responses from Hyundai executives that, “No, it is not.” The hunger even exists inside the company, the automaker’s chief creative officer and head of the N brand management and motorsport saying in their own ways they’d like to see more than a concept. Hard to know whether this latest claim is more collective delusion, but Korean outlet ET News (translated) writes that there will be a production version arriving in the first half of 2026.

ETNews says, “The possibility of mass production of the N Vision 74 has been raised several times, but this is the first time it has actually been confirmed,” without providing a source for the confirmation, not even the well-traveled “company insider.”  

So far, so something, it seems. And it gets better.

Enthusiasts still love imagining automakers trying to restore some kind of affordable, maybe-not-as-lightweight 1990s Japanese coupe to the market, e.g., the Honda Prelude and Toyota FT-Se concepts. Based on the Korean info, the N Vision 74 won’t be that. The coupe’s expected to make 800 horsepower from its hydrogen fuel cell heart, an output triple jump beyond the 680 hp in the concept. No word on whether that means sticking to two motors on the rear axle and making each more powerful, or something else. Such output could get the sprint to 62 miles per hour down to three seconds. Range will shrink as a result, from an estimated 600 kilometers to an estimated 400 to 500 kilometers.

Furthermore, ETNews writes that Hyundai plans to build just 100 cars. Seventy of them will be sold to the general public — by “general” we mean those who paid their way to the front of the lines — the rest will be campaigned in splashy race series’ in the U.S. and Europe.      

The tiny production run makes sense considering the power source. SNE Research found the Hyundai Nexo FCEV to be the best-selling hydrogen-powered vehicle in the world last year, its 10,700 units sold globally marking a 57% share of the 18,457 total global FCEV sales. Hyundai Group’s arguably doing more work than the Japanese to promote hydrogen outside the home country, though, not only selling the Nexo FCEV here, but also running a fleet of its hydrogen-powered Xcient FCEV Class 8 trucks at the port of Oakland, California, and building hydrogen facilities at its coming Georgia plant with plans to run FCEV supply trucks from the plant to the port. 

Hyundai Chairman Chung Eui-sun supposedly wants the N Vision 74 on the road and the track to showcase Hyundai’s capabilities and “to solidify its leadership in electrification technology.” The automaker is “discussing plans with partners” at the moment, we’re told. 

Hyundai’s taken what could be considered steps in that direction, applying to trademark the name “Hyundai N74” in Europe and in Australia. It’s also applied for patents on a hydrogen fuel cell setup that looks like the setup in the concept, although drawn in patent paperwork inside a Kia Stinger. Considering the testing and development a production N74 would need to satisfy Hyundai’s aims and those of qualified race teams, if ETNews is correct, this one can’t stay secret for long.

Honda has unveiled its next-generation hydrogen fuel cell at a trade show in Brussels, Belgium. Still at the prototype stage, the drivetrain is being developed for a wide variety of applications including hydrogen-electric cars, commercial vehicles, and construction machinery.

The list of carmakers pouring time and money into hydrogen technology is relatively short. BMW is working jointly with Toyota, it notably showcased a hydrogen-powered experimental X5 earlier in 2023, General Motors is developing the technology with Honda, and Hyundai is a major proponent of hydrogen-powered vehicles as well. Hydrogen needs to clear numerous hurdles before it can merge into the mainstream, including the near-complete lack of a refueling infrastructure, but Honda executives expect that these issues will soon be overcome.

“We believe demand for the technology will soon reach the critical mass required for full commercial deployment,” Ingo Nyhues, the deputy general manager of business planning and development for Honda’s European division, affirmed in a statement.

Honda stopped short of providing technical details about its next-generation hydrogen drivetrain. It merely described the system as a highly versatile unit that offers “compact dimensions, a powerful output, outstanding durability, and the ability to provide quick start-up times even in low-temperature environments.” It sounds like development work is on-going, but the company has already identified four primary use cases.

First, its system will end up in a hydrogen-powered CR-V that will be sold in North America and in Japan starting in 2024. It’s also being designed to power heavy-duty commercial vehicles, and engineers will begin testing a prototype developed jointly with Isuzu by March 2024. If everything goes according to plan, the prototype should morph into a production model that will go on sale in select markets by 2027.

The third use case identified by Honda’s research and development team is stationary power generation; it could serve as a backup power source for a data center, for example. Finally, the firm will work with other companies to design hydrogen-powered construction equipment.

Related Video

Chances are, you live in a place where that isn’t even possible, but here in California, there are indeed hydrogen filling stations dotted throughout the major metropolitan areas and, as such, cars for sale or lease that utilize hydrogen fuel cells. OK, so there’s presently just two, the Toyota Mirai and Hyundai Nexo, but the Honda Clarity Fuel Cell had been available up until 2021.

I got a chance to drive the Clarity on its press launch along with the first-generation Mirai (best known for frightening all who gazed upon it), but as I spent five of the last six years in Portland, Ore., and therefore outside the hydrogen infrastructure, I had not had a chance to spend a typical week-long press loan with a fuel-cell car. And I still haven’t, but we’ll get to that.

The current-generation Toyota Mirai dates back to model year 2021, and as anyone with functioning vision can attest, is as radical a visual departure as you can get. What was once a vaguely Prius-like lump of four-seat, front-wheel-drive hideousness emerged from a cocoon to become a long, sleek, five-seat, rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan with plenty of engineering enhancements to go with it.

At this point, it’s probably best to explain what exactly a hydrogen fuel cell car is. It’s broadly similar in concept to a hybrid powertrain, with an electric motor and battery pack, but with a hydrogen fuel cell instead of an internal combustion engine. The fuel cell itself is technically a collection of multiple cells where hydrogen and oxygen are chemically combined to create the electricity needed to move the car and replenish the battery (much as a Toyota hybrid’s engine does). As you might recall from basic chemistry, the byproduct of combining hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O) is water. No smog-causing or climate-changing emissions, just a light mist of H2O spritzing the cars behind you when accelerating. I speak from experience – I’ve been spritzed on multiple occasions by highway-going Mirais.

For the most part, the Mirai drives like an electric car since the rear-mounted electric motor exclusively propells the wheels. That motor produces 182 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque, which isn’t that much for a large sedan that weighs 4,335 pounds. That might be less than what an all-electric vehicle of its size would weigh, but acceleration is nevertheless on the pokey side. It has the typical, immediate torque response of an EV or a series-style hybrid like various Hondas, but things really start to hit the wall as speeds increase, say, when accelerating onto the highway. I was stunned to find Motor Trend clocked a Mirai from zero to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds – it feels two seconds slower than that.

Besides that, the hydrogen fuel cell only emits an usual whine when being pushed, but there’s really nothing weird about driving what is a very weird car. The same can be said beyond the powertrain realm. I drove the Mirai out into the Santa Monica Mountains and it very much behaved like a large Lexus sedan since that’s exactly what it is underneath, sharing the same excellent platform as the LS and LC. You can feel the sophistication of the suspension in the way it responds to mid-corner bumps and maintains its composure around turns, but unlike the LC and to a lesser extent, the LS, there is little in the way of engagement present. There’s capability without feedback.

With the dynamic portion of the program out of the way, my would-be week with the Mirai transitioned to more mundane matters. Specifically, dropping my wife off at LAX 38 miles away, followed by an additional 20-mile drive to a studio location in Long Beach for a sneak-peak of the 2024 Acura TLX and 2024 Honda Ridgeline. Do the math, and I’d need at least 110 miles to make the journey. Theoretically, this should not have been a problem. Theoretically.

The Mirai has three carbon fiber-reinforced tanks: one behind the rear axle, another in front of it and a third running the length of the center tunnel. By the way, the battery sits above the axle while the fuel cell is up front where an engine would be. Those tanks together hold 11 pounds of hydrogen at 10,000 psi, an amount that takes five minutes to fully refuel. That would be hydrogen’s main advantage, besides weight and sourcing battery materials, over an EV. Instead of sitting in a Walmart parking lot for a half-hour (if you’re lucky) or living somewhere that has access to a plug or charger, you can pop into a gas station just as you do with a regular engine.

Oh, and one more advantage: cost. Owners of both the Mirai and Hyundai Nexo get $15,000 worth of hydrogen over the course of a three-year lease or six-year ownership period. At the current hydrogen price I spotted at True Zero station ($36 per kilogram), you’d theoretically be getting 83 tanks of fuel included.  

OK, so how far does a “tank” get you? The Mirai Limited trim I drove is good for 357 miles of range with full tanks (the XLE can do 402). So, using basic math, you could theoretically get about 30,000 miles worth of free fuel before it gets $LOL to refill. Certainly, the lease option is the better deal.

Again, though, theoretically. I started my time with the Mirai with only 241 miles. You see, I actually live 4.4 miles and 6 minutes away from the Thousand Oaks True Zero hydrogen refueling station, which was why I felt confident in signing up for a week in the Mirai in the first place. Unfortunately, before the car arrived, the third-party company that handles press car loans informed me that the True Zero station was not functioning. Neither was a different hydrogen station located en route to me in Sherman Oaks. They’d have to fill the car near their office, also in Long Beach, and deliver it less than full. It must be said that I should’ve had a lot more than just 241 miles of range. According to my algebra, that amount of range should’ve been the equivalent of 67% full, but the fuel gauge was barely below full. Clearly, the car wasn’t getting anywhere close to whatever fuel economy determines that official range. Or there’s something wrong with the fuel gauge. So that’s another problem.

Nevertheless, 241 miles is still better than a lot of EVs, and it shouldn’t have been an issue for me to do my mountain drive and head on down to LAX and Long Beach where a quick search revealed multiple filling stations, including the one used by the vehicle drop-off folks. Theoretically.

After the LAX drop-off, I made the quick, 1.5-mile drive to a Clean Energy station that has a whole heap of natural gas pumps and one hydrogen pump. Too bad, it had yellow tape on it. OK, so that’s now three hydrogen stations along my route out of order. I didn’t need to refuel, but I had the time before the studio sneak peak, so what the hell?

The next location I tried, pictured below, was a Shell station entirely dedicated to hydrogen in Torrance, which not coincidentally is the American home of Honda and the former home of Toyota. All four pumps there were cordoned off with yellow tape, their covers pried off, and a work crew doing something to fix the situation. While I parked to see where else I could go, a nice employee of the station and/or Shell was very apologetic and explained that although this station had been running without issue, the past year has seen multiple breakdowns compounded by parts shortages that have made repairs difficult. One might imagine those same issues are impacting all the other stations.

My next attempt was 9 miles away at a single True Zero pump located within a greater Arco and am/pm station (pictured at the top of this page). There was no yellow tape on this one and the screen was lit up, asking me to insert a credit card to begin just as you would at any gasoline pump. As I don’t own the car, I’d have to pay. How much? Don’t know. When I inserted my credit card, absolutely nothing happened. The screen remained exactly the same. I tried another credit card, nothing. I pressed some buttons, nothing. I went inside the am/pm to ask if the True Zero pump was functioning and the employee responded that it’s operated by a different company and she has no idea. Strike 5!

I had now seemingly exhausted all the stations along my route, so I called off the search. I could still get back home and there theoretically would’ve been enough hydrogen left for the press loan folks to pick it up and take it back to Long Beach. Theoretically. Sure, there could’ve been enough hydrogen left, but I would’ve kept the car parked for the following four-plus days to ensure that remained the case. I had already performed my test drive, already experienced the car’s high-quality but surprisingly cramped interior, already cursed Toyota’s new infotainment system for the umpteenth time, and most importantly, experienced what it was like to refuel a hydrogen-powered car. Or rather, discovered that I couldn’t. What else was there to discover?

Thankfully for me, I did not actually own this car. As I was already in Long Beach for the studio sneak peak, I arranged to drop off the Mirai at the press loan folks’ office and trade into literally anything not powered by hydrogen I could also review. (This is what I got, ‘twas a good trade). No more drama or anxiety had to be experienced by myself or the press loan folks.

But what if I actually owned this car? I would’ve been freaking out, hoping that the local True Zero would soon be operational again. But if not, then what? As much as naysayers point to the range anxiety of EVs, at least you can plug in to any old electrical outlet and eventually get enough juice at home or to get home. Hydrogen? Ha, good luck with that.

Hopefully, the causes of all five outages, related or not, are ironed out so that actual hydrogen fuel cell owners can use their cars. Indeed, I ventured over to the local True Zero station a few weeks later and it did seem to be working again when I popped my credit card in to start the process. Perhaps this was all just a coincidence, a case of very bad luck on my part (and anyone else trying to refill their car that day). If so, and the number of stations grows, hydrogen fuel cell cars could in fact be a more viable emission-free transportation choice than electric vehicles for those who live in apartments or condominiums where home charging is impossible or infeasible. You just need stations to make them work and for the stations themselves to work.

Of course, none of this refueling debacle touches on the issues surrounding where that hydrogen comes from in the first place. As most of the gaseous hydrogen in our solar system is located in the sun and Jupiter, we have to split it away from another chemical compound. The overwhelming majority comes from compressed natural gas, aka methane, which is a fossil fuel. D’oh! This would be what is known as “gray” or “blue” hydrogen, and definitely not emission-free. What you really want is “green” hydrogen, which uses water, but even then you’re using a huge amount of power to split water molecules to make hydrogen so you can then fuse it back together with oxygen to create power and water. That makes sense?

So yeah, you thought electric car charging was fraught? Still, could be worse.

Toyota is one of the carmakers arguing that the future isn’t battery electric ⁠— not entirely. It has dabbled in hydrogen technology for over a decade, notably through a partnership with BMW, and it has built an experimental hydrogen-powered Hilux truck fitted with Mirai-sourced technology.

Partially funded by the British government, and built in the United Kingdom, the Hilux-based prototype is powered by a fuel cell, meaning the drivetrain uses hydrogen to produce electricity that’s stored in a battery pack and used to zap an electric motor into motion. (In contrast, some of Toyota’s earlier prototypes — including a Corolla Hatchback race car — use an internal-combustion engine modified to burn hydrogen.)

Hydrogen is stored in three high-pressure tanks installed between the frame’s outer rails. The fuel cell is located under the hood, where you’d find the regular-production Hilux’s four-cylinder turbodiesel engine, and the drive unit is integrated into the rear axle. The truck is expected to deliver over 365 miles of driving range, which Toyota notes is “significantly further than might be achieved using a battery-electric system.” Ford’s F-150 Lightning delivers up to 320 miles of range, though the diesel-powered Hilux can cruise for nearly 700 miles between fill-ups.

Toyota adds that it installed the battery pack in the cargo box to avoid compromising cabin space, but there’s no word yet on what effect this layout has on the Hilux’s cargo capacity. Similarly, key details such as weight, payload, and towing capacity haven’t been released. 

Development work started in July 2022, and the Hilux prototype pictured in our gallery above is the first of 10 units planned to be built by the end of 2023. These trucks will then undergo a series of durability tests around the world to help the Japanese firm gather data about the drivetrain. What the future holds for the model hasn’t been announced, but it’s worth noting that this isn’t the first experimental Hilux we’ve seen without an internal combustion engine. In 2022, Toyota unveiled an electric Hilux concept with up to 220 miles of range at a trade show in Thailand.

Ineos is a chemicals company first and foremost — the name is an acronym for Inspec Ethylene Oxide and Specialties, that concoction of letters derived from a business transaction made in 1998. Part of the outfit’s yearly toil is producing hydrogen, some 400,000 metric tons of the stuff according to Ineos Automotive CEO Lynn Calder. So it makes sense to swap the turbocharged BMW 3.0-cylinder inline-six that normally powers the Grenadier Station Wagon for a BMW fuel cell powertrain, when it’s reasonable to expect Ineos would be one of the companies powering the hydrogen highway worldwide. That’s what we have here, the Grenadier FCEV Demonstrator that debuted today at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Ineos Automotive gave no specifics about mechanical bits other than calling them “BMW Group’s latest hydrogen fuel cell powertrain.” We figure Ineos refers to the setup in the BMW iX5 we drove earlier this year. The details on that start with two hydrogen tanks that hold a total of about 13 gallons of hydrogen at 700 bar. The bulge in the demonstrator’s hood is the fuel cell stack sourced from Toyota, but that bulge would be smoothed out in a potential production vehicle. The stack sends its electricity to a 2-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery that powers two electric drive units on the rear axle, the drive units enabling true torque vectoring. In the iX5, BMW pegs the system’s total output at 401 horsepower; the gas-powered Grenadier makes about 283 horsepower. The roughly 5,500-pound iX5’s driving range checks in at up to 313 miles when tested on the WLTP cycle used in Europe. Hitting 60 mph from a stop takes around 6 seconds.

The automaker says rigorous testing has showed the demonstrator doesn’t give up any capability compared to the ICE-powered Grenadier, including towing, which was the point. 

BMW put the iX5 into production earlier this year, only pledging to make less than 100 units, though. It’s possible Ineos could eventually do the same with the Grenadier demonstrator. The company’s busy now getting to full speed on rollouts of the Grenadier Station Wagon and Grenadier Quartermaster pickup, and we’ve heard there’s a two-door version in the works. A battery-electric Grenadier is due in 2026.

Related video:

Rolls-Royce released its first series-produced EV, the Spectre, in 2022, and the brand plans to launch additional battery-powered models in the coming years. It’s not closing the door to other powertrains, however, and it’s notably open to experimenting with hydrogen fuel cells.

“Why not? I would say so when the time is right for us, and when the technology is so much advanced, that it is definitely something we would pursue as Rolls-Royce. Why not? We might exit batteries, and we might enter into fuel cells,” company boss Torsten Müller-Ötvös told British magazine Autocar. He stopped short of revealing whether engineers are currently testing hydrogen fuel cell-powered prototypes.

It’s too early to tell whether Rolls-Royce would develop a hydrogen fuel cell on its own or whether it would source some of the drivetrain’s parts from parent company BMW, which has dabbled in this technology for decades. BMW notably began building an X5-based, hydrogen-powered prototype called iX5 in 2023, and it plans to ultimately funnel the feedback it gathers by testing the model into a production car.

Müller-Ötvös has already ruled out building a car powered by a hydrogen-burning engine, however.

“I think a hydrogen combustion engine is nothing I would in any way look into, because that was tested already years ago. This is not the most efficient way to use hydrogen. If hydrogen will be used in the future, then it’s fuel cells. And fuel cells are nothing different from a battery. It is just how you get the energy,” he told Autocar, referring to the hydrogen-burning 7 Series prototype tested by BMW in the 2000s.

Rolls-Royce, like nearly every brand looking at hydrogen technology, warns that the infrastructure needs to improve before the fuel cell can merge into the mainstream. “You can’t obviously have hydrogen charging at home, whereas [with EVs] you have one big advantage, and all of our clients have big garages. There is lots of space at home and there is lots of space in office buildings to install charging,” the CEO said.

As it stands, Rolls-Royce wants to sell only electric cars by the end of 2030, and it hasn’t announced plans to launch a series-produced hydrogen-electric model. It’s not unreasonable to assume that this outlook could change during the second half of the 2020s, however. BMW boss Oliver Zipse told Autoblog that he predicts the industry will experience “a scarcity of raw materials [needed to build EVs] if we continue to ramp up production” in 2027 and 2028, and that hydrogen could be a solution because the drivetrain requires a smaller battery pack.

ACO, the organizing body behind the 24 Hours of Le Mans, announced in March that hydrogen-powered cars would be eligible for the race come 2026. That would include hydrogen combustion engines like the concept H2-powered Lexus V8 that Toyota and Yamaha showed in 2022, and fuel cell vehicles. Planning for the doors to open in three years, Toyota used this year’s Le Mans weekend to show the Gazoo Racing GR H2 Racing Concept. This one’s got a hydrogen combustion engine, Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda saying, “The sound, the torque, the dynamics, it’s all there.”

The automaker didn’t provide any information on the mechanicals underneath the black beauty, only the dimensions. The GR H2 Racing Concept is 200.8 inches long and 80.7 inches wide. That’s seven inches longer and two inches wider than the GR010 Hybrid competing in WEC this year. It’s also just outside the maximum dimensions allowed for the current Le Mans Hypercar class by 3.9 inches in length and two inches in width.

Toyota’s been running a hydrogen-engined Corolla in Japan’s Super Taikyu series for two years. To listen to it around the track, you’d never know there wasn’t gasoline involved. Whenever we get a clip of the GR H2 Racing Concept on track, it could sound like the good old days.

Gazoo Racing wasn’t the only competitor in Le Mans’ H2 Village with a debut. French car company Ligier got together with Bosch to develop the JS2 RH2, a hydrogen-engined relative of Ligier’s JS2 R racer. We say “relative” because the vehicle structure’s changed for the RH2. The JS2 R is built on a tubular spaceframe and powered by a 3.7-liter Ford V6 gas engine making 350 horsepower. The JS2 RH2 is built on a carbon monocoque and powered by a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 derived from a Bosch unit and running hydrogen, producing 563 hp. It weighs 3,197 pounds, which is 871 pounds more than the standard JS2 R. Using three 2.1-kg hydrogen tanks, Ligier and Bosch say it can run for 35 to 40 minutes around Le Mans before needing a refill. The race vehicles running this weekend will usually do stints of about 45 to 50 minutes.

Ligier and Bosch call the JS2 RH2 a technology demonstrator only, with no plans to race in the near-term. Bosch CEO Dr. Johannes-Joerg Rueger pointed to the future, saying, “One day there will be a single solution to hydrogen. We want to put ourselves at the forefront of this technology.”

The Hyundai N Vision 74 is the idea that will not die. It’s already one of the wildest concepts to hit the interwebs in recent years. Inspired by the Hyundai Pony Coupe concept, the hydrogen-powered sports wedge looks like a Group 5 racer sprung from a William Gibson novel. It encapsulates perfectly 1980s aesthetics design mixed with a futuristic edge, a smack in the face of played-out styling trends like floating roofs and gaping grilles.

The only problem is, Hyundai wouldn’t build it. Or will they? The on-again, off-again N Vision 74 could be back on again, if Chief Creative Officer Luc Donckerwolke has anything to say about it. When asked by TopGear whether it could be built, the CCO replied, “Absolutely,” before adding, “We are serious about this. This could come into production. We have the platform — it’s a motorsport platform.”

Earlier this month a South Korean publication reported that Hyundai had green-lit the N Vision 74 for production and would show a prototype at a “Pony Day” event at the company’s new design studio. Less than a week later, hopes were dashed Hyundai spokespersons told a different South Korean publication that there were no plans to produce the Pony Coupe and no Pony Day either. Perhaps the original source mistook reconstruction of the original Pony Coupe Concept as a production prototype, or the article was mis-translated.

Donckerwolke is not alone. Back in February the company’s VP of N Brand management and Motorsport said that it was his personal wish to build the car. “I hate show business,” Donckerwolke told TopGear. “I hate doing show cars and then — nothing.”

Hyundai has already developed a number of other heritage-inspired projects in the same vein. First came the Pony EV, then the Grandeur EV. And if we’re talking about production cars, the Ioniq 5 also flows from that same well. 

We’ve made a case for Hyundai to build the N Vision 74. If it’s hydrogen propulsion that’s holding the project up, we’ve also argued that the specific powertrain isn’t that important. The N Vision 74 didn’t melt the internet because of its fuel cell; it did so because it simply looks spectacular. As long as whatever powers the car makes it fast, the public will be satisfied. 

Ford lays out the reasons the fuel cell would be useful nicely: “This may benefit operators with heavy-duty use cases including long-distance transportation, maximum loads, ancillary equipment such as chillers, and those with limited charging opportunities in the working shift.”

That maximum load aspect comes into play with battery weight. Batteries are heavy, and if you need more for longer range, it just gets worse, and as the battery weight increases, the payload decreases. If you’re delivering heavy products, that’s a problem, especially if it’s over long distances. And of course if you need faster fueling or have other equipment pulling from the battery, having a fuel cell is helpful.

Unfortunately, Ford hasn’t really given any specifications on its fuel cell test vans, other than that it has a fuel cell stack for electricity and a tank for the hydrogen. Presumably, the actual drive motor is the same 266 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque. It’s not clear if the same 126-mile battery pack is still used, or if a smaller one is used to reduce weight.

We do know the companies working with Ford on development. BP is heading up hydrogen infrastructure and production, Cambustion worked on the fuel cell system, Viritech worked on hydrogen storage, and Cygnet Texkimp manufactured the carbon fiber hydrogen storage tanks.

Ford has eight of these vans that it will be testing over the next three years. That stretch will be broken up into six-month testing periods. Ford didn’t state whether it has plans yet to put fuel-cell E-Transits into production yet.

Related Video:

Hyundai could leap into the sports car wars, and rumors were rampant this week that the N Vision 74 concept could soon debut in production trim. If that happens, Hyundai would be joining a segment where Chevy and Dodge are retrenching, and Ford, Nissan and Toyota are riding their existing horses as long as possible. Given that, it feels like a smart play for Hyundai to take a calculated risk and make the N Vision 74 real.

As a refresher, the N Vision 74 is a concept car that recalls the Giorgetto Giugiaro-designed Pony concept from 1974. 

The new concept uses a two-motor hybrid setup powered by hydrogen and electricity, and its neo-wedge design left enthusiasts wagging their tongues when it was revealed last July. It would cut through the clutter of today’s busy styling and bring something legitimately distinctive to the sports-car space. Hyundai could also opt to make the N Vision 74 a higher performance and lower volume play.

For it to be realistic, though, Hyundai has to drop the hydrogen. Unless we take the company literally here, it’s reasonable to assume that is just for illustration. Rather, Hyundai should make the N Vision 74 all-electric with the same powertrains the Ioniq 5 and 6 run, especially what will be in the Ioniq 5 N.

The N Vision 74 is also the rare opportunity for Hyundai to showcase its history, which in the United States is limited. The company legitimately has a concept car in its archives designed by the same guy who did the DeLorean and BMW M1. Not everyone can say that. Actually, hardly anyone can. A Giugiaro design means something, and reportedly Giorgetto’s son is involved with the new project. Hyundai has leaned into its Pony heritage in recent years, announcing plans to rebuild the concept last year in partnership with Giugiaro. The Pony concept influenced Hyundai design throughout the 1970s and ’80s, and some of its elements appeared on the rear-wheel-drive Pony hatchback. Hyundai has also cited the concept’s lineage in its electric hatch, the Ioniq 5. The original 1974 concept was destroyed.

Hyundai has the well-received design and powertrain, so two key elements are in place. And as we’ve established, there’s opportunity with the main competitors in a seeming holding pattern. But could Hyundai really pull it off?

There’s precedence. Hyundai did this before, and fairly well. The Genesis coupe (back when Genesis was still a Hyundai nameplate) launched in 2010 when the Mustang, Challenger and Camaro were formidable. All three Detroit muscle cars would grow in performance for the rest of the decade. The Genesis coupe more than held its own for a few years, with a notchy though engaging six-speed manual, a spunky turbo four and powerful V6. It stuck around until 2016 and showed a sporty side to a company that had offered enthusiasts very little until that point. If the Hyundai of ‘08 could push ahead with a sports-car project, the much more grown-up Hyundai of 2023 not only can, but should.

Risk is relative. A sports car is hardly a necessity these days. But an electric sports car is more than just a toy. It gets people excited about your brand and it’s good for image. Hyundai’s sibling brands have all taken similar risks, like the Stinger rear-wheel drive sedan, and Genesis’ ambitious strategy to embrace striking design and go all-in as a luxury maker, rather than play the value card.

In this view, the greater risk is doing nothing. Hyundai has the design, both past and present. People like it. And if the N Vision 74 isn’t greenlit, well someone else is going to do something like it. There will be no shortage of electric sports cars in the coming years. Hyundai should make the N Vision 74 one of them.

Related Video:

Unveiled in 2022, the Hyundai N Vision 74 concept put a modern spin on a little-known part of the carmaker’s heritage. Although it was billed as a simple design study, the retro-styled coupe has allegedly received the green light for production and is a few weeks away from its debut.

Without citing sources, South Korean publication Money Today wrote that the N Vision 74 concept will join the Hyundai catalog as a regular-production model sooner rather than later. Hyundai hasn’t commented on the report, and it hasn’t announced plans to build the N Vision 74 concept, but some of its top executives have voiced their support for a production-bound coupe inspired by the design study. “My personal wish is to produce this vehicle. It’s at first probably an investment, but if we could see this vehicle really out there and people buying it, I would be very happy,” Till Wartenberg, Hyundai’s vice president of N brand management and motorsport, toldThe Autopian in 2023.

We think Hyundai should go ahead and build it, as this column lays out the argument for a modern Pony coupe.

Of course, it takes much more than a bullet point on an executive’s wish list to fast-track a car to production. Market demand, pricing, and production feasibility are among the factors that companies need to take into account before saying “yes” to a new model. The N Vision 74 has received positive feedback from enthusiasts and journalists around the world, but whether that’s enough to build it remains unclear.

It’s too early to tell how the design — which borrows styling cues from the Giorgetto Giugiaro-designed 1974 Pony concept — will evolve as the coupe makes the jump from the show floor to the showroom floor. Money Today claims that Fabrizio Giugiaro, Giorgetto Giugiaro’s son, was put in charge of the exterior design. If the report is accurate, it’s reasonable to assume that many of the more extroverted styling cues (including the gaping vents, the massive wing, and the huge rear diffuser) will get toned down. Another point that’s up in the air is the drivetrain: The concept landed with a 670-horsepower hydrogen-electric hybrid system, but it might be too early to bring it to production.

We won’t have to wait long to find out if Hyundai is really making the N Vision 74 a reality. The report claims that the coupe will make its debut on May 27, 2023, at an event called “Pony Day” that’s scheduled to take place at Hyundai’s design studio in Seoul, South Korea.

Related video: