Hydrogen fuel cells drive Tokyo’s new taxi fleet in Toyota’s TOKYO H2 Project

Tokyo may be famous for its futuristic transport, but its skinny lanes and crowded boulevards still wrestle with smog and gridlock. With 14 million people in the city proper and around 35 million in the metro area—where the average rent per person hits about US$18,000—getting around and breathing easy can feel like a daily challenge. So on September 3, 2025, Toyota Motor Corporation teamed up with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to launch the TOKYO H2 Project, a plan to make Tokyo a global hydrogen hub by putting hydrogen front and center in the city’s taxi fleet.

Toyota and Tokyo Unite for Hydrogen Mobility

Under the TOKYO H2 Project banner, Toyota has started rolling its Crown FCEV into Tokyo’s taxi ranks, aiming for 200 vehicles by fiscal 2025 and ultimately 600 hydrogen cabs by 2030. But it’s more than just cars: the partnership is funding new fueling stations, mobile refueling trucks, citizen surveys, live availability dashboards, and public ride-and-drive events to demystify hydrogen. City leaders see hydrogen as a linchpin for slashing transport emissions, while Toyota views this as a launchpad for market growth and a chance to showcase its leadership in hydrogen fuel cells.

Business and Strategic Angle

For Toyota, the TOKYO H2 Project dovetails perfectly with its Beyond Zero strategy, which isn’t just about cutting CO₂—it’s about boosting societal well-being. Anchoring a high-profile taxi fleet in Tokyo lets Toyota demonstrate its full-stack approach, from green hydrogen partnerships with energy firms to breakthroughs in fuel cell technology. It’s also a living testbed to tighten supply chains, secure early service contracts, and build global expertise in a market that could redefine industrial decarbonization—alongside battery electric vehicles.

The Power of the Crown FCEV

So what’s under the hood of the Crown FCEV? It packs hydrogen at a hefty 70 MPa and feeds it into a next-gen fuel cell stack that converts chemical energy into electric torque. With a driving range flirting with 600 kilometers and refuel times under five minutes, it ticks off two of the biggest boxes for commercial fleets. Safety’s built in too, with automatic leak detectors, sensors, and regenerative braking that squeezes extra mileage out of every drop. Plus, this latest stack boasts 20% more power density thanks to lessons learned from Toyota’s decade-long R&D on the Mirai.

Building a Hydrogen Infrastructure

None of this works without a solid hydrogen infrastructure. That’s why Toyota transformed its MIRAI Showroom into the TOKYO H2 HUB, an interactive playground for industry pros, government officials, and curious citizens. You can catch safety demos, live refueling sessions, and hands-on exhibits explaining electrolysis, storage, and distribution. On top of that, new stations are popping up across central wards, mobile hydrogen trailers are on standby, and smartphone apps guide drivers to the nearest pump in real time.

Policy Backdrop: Tokyo’s Climate Ambitions

Tokyo’s committed to carbon neutrality by 2050 and slashing greenhouse gases by 50% from 2000 levels by 2030. Hydrogen plays a starring role in that roadmap—power generation, building heat, and transport all get a slice of the action. Subsidies for FCEVs and fueling stations, streamlined permitting, and incentives for blending hydrogen into district heating have laid fertile ground for the TOKYO H2 Project to sprout fast.

Toyota’s ‘Beyond Zero’ Vision

But taxis are just the tip of the iceberg. Under its Beyond Zero umbrella, Toyota’s teaming up to produce green hydrogen via renewably powered electrolysis, experimenting with ammonia co-firing in power plants, and pioneering new hydrogen storage materials. They’re running joint trials in hydrogen-fueled generators and industrial furnaces, and feeding insights from global R&D centers in Canada and Germany back into Tokyo’s streets—betting big on hydrogen as a cornerstone of future sustainable energy systems.

From Prius to Hydrogen Society

Tokyo’s clean-vehicle journey kicked off in 1997 with the Toyota Prius, the world’s first mass-market hybrid. In 2014, the Mirai FCEV hit the streets thanks to strong subsidies and demo programs. Now, the TOKYO H2 Project is cranking up those early experiments into a full-scale urban rollout. City officials and automakers alike see this phase as the real test for mainstreaming hydrogen fuel cells—and a playbook for other megacities wrestling with pollution and congestion.

Economic and Environmental Payoffs

Unlike diesel cabs that spew NOx and CO₂, hydrogen taxis only exhale water vapor. In a city of 14 million, each cab can cut several tons of CO₂ a year compared to its diesel counterpart. Economically, there’s upside for hydrogen producers, station operators, and tech suppliers—sparking new jobs in manufacturing, logistics, and maintenance. But perhaps the biggest win is public trust: once people can see and ride these zero-emission technology vehicles, they start believing hydrogen isn’t just science fiction.

Challenges on the Road Ahead

Of course, scaling a hydrogen economy isn’t a walk in the park. Both vehicles and stations carry a higher sticker price than gas or battery rivals, and truly low-carbon hydrogen remains scarce. Ramping up green hydrogen production—ideally powered by wind or solar—is a must. Toyota and partners are teasing out creative financing like leasing models or “hydrogen-as-a-service” to lower the entry bar. Still, it’ll take policymakers, utilities, and automakers singing from the same hymn sheet to secure feedstock, manage costs, and lock in safety at every step.

Setting Global Benchmarks

Regions like California and Europe have been busy building hydrogen corridors and running heavy-duty trials. Tokyo’s all-in on passenger mobility, adding a fresh twist: scaling hydrogen taxis smack in the urban core. By weaving together city policies, corporate R&D, and citizen engagement, Tokyo is sketching out a blueprint that any megacity could swipe to cut transit emissions. If it succeeds here, Japanese know-how in manufacturing, system design, and operations could hit the world stage.

When the first wave of Crown FCEVs rolls up to the curb, they’ll carry more than just passengers—they’ll carry Tokyo’s vision for a cleaner, smarter tomorrow. If these cabs prove reliable, cost-effective, and safe, they’ll pave the way for hydrogen buses, delivery vans, and even backup power units. In a city that never stops, hydrogen might soon feel as familiar as the neon lights that define Tokyo’s nightscape.