Japanese sales of hydrogen cars tanked during the last 2 years

A recent report suggests that during the last couple of years, H2 passenger vehicle sales dropped 83 percent.

The Japanese government wants to have 800,000 fuel cell hydrogen cars driving on the country’s streets by the end of the decade. This means that there will need to be about 8,000 more on the roads than there are today. That said, sales are trending downward, instead of keeping up a healthy growth.

Despite the goal, H2-powered passenger vehicle sales have tanked during the last two years.

During the same span of time that the sale of hydrogen cars has fallen, Japanese drivers have been purchasing battery electric vehicles much more rapidly.

According to recent data released by the Japanese Automobile Dealers Association (JADA), there were 2,464 fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) sold in Japan in 2021. That number dropped by 65 percent in 2022, to reach only 848 FCEV sales. Last year, that number tumbled again, this time to only 422 FCEV sales.

That trend represents an 82.87 percent drop in the sale of hydrogen cars from 2021 to 2023.

Nearly all the H2-powered passenger vehicles that sold in Japan during that span of time were made by Toyota. They were mainly the Mirai, though there were a few Crown FCEV units sold as well, though that vehicle only became available in November 2023, so it didn’t have as much of an opportunity to generate a solid figure.

Credit: Photo by depositphotos.com

That said, the now discontinued Honda Clarity sold only 14 units in 2021 and 2022, when it was still available. There were 31 sales of “imported” H2-powered vehicles. Those were not named but were most likely mainly (if not entirely) the Hyundai Nexo, from South Korea. This is a safe assumption as it is essentially the only other FCEV available in the global passenger vehicle market.

Battery electric vehicles are taking off

At the same time that hydrogen cars appear to be losing steam in Japan, battery electric vehicle sales in Japan have been taking off. In 2021, there were 20,008 units sold. That jumped to 31,592 in 2022 and then to 43,991 last year, more than doubling in the same span of time that H2-powered passenger cars faced a downward spiral.

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Page 1 of 7

Who discovered the hydrogen element in 1766?

Henry Cavendish Robert Boyle Christian Friedrich Schonbein

Page 2 of 7

What country uses the most hydrogen energy?

united states hydrogen use United States China hydrogen use China Germany hydrogen use Germany

Page 3 of 7

What's the Guinnes World Record for a hydrogen fuel car's mileage range on a single tank of hydrogen?

629 miles 489 miles 845 miles

Page 4 of 7

How many miles of hydrogen pipelines are currently operating in the United States?

300 miles 1600 miles 2800 miles Zero Hydrogen Pipelines

Page 5 of 7

Is a fuel cell car considered to be an electric vehicle?

Yes No

Page 6 of 7

What are the many ways to store hydrogen?

Liquified Salt Caverns Compressed Material based like ammonia All of the above

Page 7 of 7

Which of the following statements best describes why hydrogen is considered non-toxic and dissipates quickly?

Hydrogen is heavier than air, causing it to spread slowly and remain concentrated. Hydrogen is lighter than air, allowing it to rise and disperse rapidly in the atmosphere. Hydrogen is chemically inert, preventing it from reacting with other substances in the air. Hydrogen is soluble in water, making it easy to dissolve and remove from the environment.