According to Reuters news organization, Japan will most likely miss its target of building 100 hydrogen fueling stations by March 2016.
According to the report, “Japan looks set to miss its ambitious target of having around 100 hydrogen fuelling stations for fuel-cell cars in operation by March 2016, with just 76 approved after the deadline to apply for subsidies passed last month.
“The government had earmarked 21.38 billion yen ($178.37 million) over the past three years to subsidise the construction and operation of fuelling stations by March 2016 as it aims to lead the world in setting up a hydrogen-based society featuring fuel-cell cars such as Toyota Motor Corp’s Mirai.”
So, even though 100 H2 fueling stations may not be built in Japan by the deadline, they are still on track for three quarters of that. The Japanese government is footing the bill for about one-half the price of building the station. The government also says they may raise the subsidies for additional stations in order to encourage more builders to jump onboard.
If Japan misses its target of 100 stations by next March it will only be a minor setback as there will be plenty of time to make up the difference as the fuel cell vehicles start slowly rolling out to the public.
Note: Image Courtesy Japan Times