Japanese market orders 1,500 hydrogen Toyotas in first month

Toyota’s first hydrogen-powered production car, the Mirai, has amassed 1,500 orders in its first month on sale in Japan.

Due for introduction in the UK later this year, the saloon has far exceeded expectations: Toyota’s initial plan was to sell about 400 units by the end of this year. 

Due to the large volume of orders received, Toyota expects some customers will experience longer waits for delivery than originally expected. The orders taken so far divide roughly 60:40 between government/fleet customers and private individuals.

Early adopters of Toyota’s hydrogen fuel cell technology will experience zero-emissions driving. Mirai’s motor is powered by electricity generated through a chemical reaction between air-borne oxygen and hydrogen in an on-board fuel cell.

To help encourage the development of hydrogen-fuelled vehicles, Toyota recently made thousands of its global hydrogen fuel cell patents available to others, free of any royalties.