Hydrogen Fuel Cell cars will be as CHEAP as Hybrids inside a decade, say Toyota

Car powered by hydrogen fuel cells will be as cheap as hybrids within a decade say Toyota, as production costs fall.

Hydrogen fuel cell cars may be something of a rarity (to say the least), mainly due to cost and a lack of a refuelling infrastructure. But things are changing.

Although still minuscule in numbers, cars like the Hyundai Tucson FCEV are selling better than previous generation FCEVs, and there’s starting to be real momentum behind hydrogen as fuel in the commercial transport sector.

But it’s what’s on the horizon that will really change things and, according to Toyota, that means hydrogen fuel cell cars will cost the same as a hybrid car within a decade. 

That’s a big shout from Toyota, but it’s not only Toyota fighting for a hydrogen future with claims of big things to come.

Bosch recently invested heavily in a hydrogen fuel cell future, with a partnership with Powercell Sweden, declaring an expectation that 20 per cent of electric vehicles will be powered by hydrogen inside a decade.

The game-changer for hydrogen fuel cells is that the next generation will rely far less heavily on platinum as a catalyst to start the chemical reaction in the fuel cell to deliver electricity, with Bosch reckoning the amount of platinum needed in future will be no more than is needed for a diesel catalytic convertor.

Of course, it’s not just the reduction in platinum use that will reduce the cost of hydrogen fuel stacks, with economies of scale will play a big part too as will the ever reducing cost of batteries.

As for the refuelling infrastructure, that needs some work.