In Japan’s Aichi Prefecture, Toyota will be adding a couple more assembly lines by the end of 2015 to handle the demand for its Mirai fuel cell vehicles, an investment of over $165 million. On next Monday, December 15, 2014, Toyota has stated that they will begin manufacturing the first commercial Mirai cars in this Prefecture.
According to Nikkei, “Exports to the U.S. and Europe are also expected to begin in the summer of 2015. Especially in California, regulations that promote zero-emissions vehicles are seen creating a tailwind. Toyota’s current capacity will not be enough to meet brisk demand at home and in the U.S.
“Toyota plans to sell 400 Mirais in Japan by the end of 2015. In the U.S., it seeks to move 3,000 units or more by the end of 2017. In Europe, the plan is to sell 50 to 100 units a year around 2016.”
The Hyundai ix35 Tucson fuel cell vehicle is a commercial vehicle already available for lease in Southern California. With the Toyota Mirai commercially available in the summer of 2015 in California, this will spur the building of hydrogen fueling stations in that state.
In fact, today in West Sacramento, CA the first public hydrogen fueling station in Northern California is being unveiled at a Ramos Oil Company facility. This will be the first of many to be opened publicly in the Golden State within the next couple of years.
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