Why isn’t Toyota making a hydrogen + plug-in electric hybrid?

That’s basically my question. Toyota’s Mirai is a hydrogen-electric car, where you fill it up with hydrogen like you would with gas in a Corolla hybrid. But why not combine both—a plug-in electric and hydrogen hybrid?

It’s not as easy as it sounds. Hydrogen stations are often a mess—they break down constantly, and each customer has to wait a few minutes between fills to avoid issues. There’s a reason you can find used Mirais for as low as $7k. A lot of people got these cars without the infrastructure really being there to support them, which is a shame.

@Gia
I doubt many people with low income bought a Mirai. Toyota has only sold around 21k of them from 2014 to 2022, so it’s less than 3k per year worldwide. If someone bought such an expensive car without understanding what they were getting into, that’s on them.

@ruth
Totally agree. Most people buying these either have unfortunate circumstances or didn’t do enough research before getting a used one. Only certain dealers can service them, and not every dealership sells them. It’s really specialized.

@ruth
Wait, you said ‘worldwide,’ but aren’t these mainly sold in LA or somewhere specific?

Evans said:
@ruth
Wait, you said ‘worldwide,’ but aren’t these mainly sold in LA or somewhere specific?

Actually, I saw one in a Toyota dealership in Poland, even though we only have one hydrogen station here. Plus, James May from Top Gear drives one in London.

@ruth
Good to know! I thought maybe they were only available in Japan or somewhere, didn’t realize they’d made it to Europe.

@ruth
Actually, Toyota had crazy incentives that made leases on these cars super cheap. In the low-income apartments across from me, there are four Mirais parked. My brother works at a big Toyota dealership and said they pushed these cars hard because the commission was good.

@Gia
Wow, that’s wild. But what’s Toyota’s angle? They gave out expensive cars almost for free? And if it was so cheap, where’s the catch? Did they not tell people it’s hydrogen-fueled?

ruth said:
@Gia
Wow, that’s wild. But what’s Toyota’s angle? They gave out expensive cars almost for free? And if it was so cheap, where’s the catch? Did they not tell people it’s hydrogen-fueled?

Are you in California? Here, electric/hydrogen cars are often loss leaders to meet government quotas for clean-air vehicles. I got $5,000 to lease a Chevy Bolt for three years! With government and local incentives, Toyota could basically give these cars away. Some people could trade in their old car and drive off with a very low lease on a Mirai.

@Gia
The real ones getting tricked here are taxpayers, who end up covering all those rebates. Where I’m from (Poland), people are held accountable for their choices. They should’ve known what they were signing up for, especially with all the info online.

Sometimes the answers are off this forum. Check this out: Toyota UK on Instagram: "A ground-breaking prototype hydrogen fuel cell-powered Toyota Hilux has been revealed at Toyota Manufacturing UK’s Burnaston car plant in Derby, where it has been developed in a joint project with consortium partners, supported by UK Government funding."

Florence said:
Sometimes the answers are off this forum. Check this out: Toyota UK on Instagram: "A ground-breaking prototype hydrogen fuel cell-powered Toyota Hilux has been revealed at Toyota Manufacturing UK’s Burnaston car plant in Derby, where it has been developed in a joint project with consortium partners, supported by UK Government funding."

And here’s Mr. Bean’s take on it: Toyota UK on Instagram: "Present day and potential future: just a few of the cars which represent aspects of our multi-technology philosophy at @fosgoodwood yesterday. #FOS TOYOTA GAZOO Racing"

@Florence
Nice! Just saw a bz4x at a dealership today for 35k EUR. Still no plug-in hybrid.

Florence said:
Sometimes the answers are off this forum. Check this out: Toyota UK on Instagram: "A ground-breaking prototype hydrogen fuel cell-powered Toyota Hilux has been revealed at Toyota Manufacturing UK’s Burnaston car plant in Derby, where it has been developed in a joint project with consortium partners, supported by UK Government funding."

Cool, but does Toyota offer a plug-in hydrogen hybrid?

Hydrogen for passenger cars is kind of a lost cause. It ends up being more complicated, more expensive, and overall worse than an electric vehicle.

It always comes down to the battery. Some execs just can’t let go of the money invested in hydrogen tech. It might work better for large trucks or buses, but for regular cars, it’s a stretch.

@Toni
I get it—it’s not practical for everyday use. But why not make a hydrogen car with a big enough battery and the option to plug in?

Creg said:
@Toni
I get it—it’s not practical for everyday use. But why not make a hydrogen car with a big enough battery and the option to plug in?

Because a full electric wins every time. If you ditch the extra hardware for hydrogen and add more battery instead, you get better range, a lower price, easier repairs, and it’s safer overall. Plus, most hydrogen is made from fossil fuels, which defeats the purpose for now.

Electric really is just better for passenger cars.

@Toni
Thanks for the explanation!

Creg said:
@Toni
I get it—it’s not practical for everyday use. But why not make a hydrogen car with a big enough battery and the option to plug in?

Look up hydrogen embrittlement. Anything containing hydrogen eventually has to be replaced, including the fuel system. Not ideal.