Lexus may be setting its sights on hydrogen fuel cells

Trademark filing hints at Lexus’ use of hydrogen fuel cells

Luxury automaker Lexus may be on the verge of officially unveiling its hydrogen-powered concept vehicle. A new trademark filing in the United States suggests that the company may soon share more details concerning this vehicle, which may serve as a glimpse into future Lexus productions. The automaker has been showing an interest in hydrogen fuel cells for several years, but has only hinted at the possibility of releasing a fuel cell vehicle at some point in the future.

Lexus has already showed off a fuel cell powertrain for vehicles

The trademark filing shows that Lexus is looking to protect the term “LS-FC Concept,” which is being used for “automobiles and structural parts thereof.” Lexus has already showcased the powertrain that could be used for the concept vehicle. The vehicle would be equipped with hydrogen fuel cells that generate electricity and produce no harmful emissions. The powertrain itself would likely be a variant of that used by the Toyota Mirai, as Lexus is owned by Toyota.

Automakers see promise in the United States’ clean transportation market

Due to the trademark filing, Lexus is expected to showcase its new concept vehicle in the United States within the coming months. Lexus joins several other automakers that are showing a strong interest in hydrogen fuel cells. Some of these companies are planning to launch new fuel cell vehicles in the United States in the very near future in order to take advantage of the growing popularity of clean transportation. While hydrogen fuel cells have shown significant promise, vehicles making use of them have not yet become popular among consumers, partly due to their relatively high cost and lacking infrastructure support.

Companies are investing in infrastructure in order to support clean vehicles and hydrogen fuel cells

Infrastructure is one of the greatest challenges facing the use of hydrogen fuel cells in transportation currently. Because consumers do not have abundant access to hydrogen, fuel cell vehicles have relatively little appeal to consumers. Large automakers have been investing in the development of new hydrogen stations in order to resolve this problem, but it may be years before a comprehensive infrastructure can be established.