Many analysts feel that fuel cell technology is the future of the automotive industry. Some manufacturers feel the same way, which is why Toyota will follow Hyundai in offering free fuel to entice early buyers for its $57K Mirai fuel cell vehicle when it launches in October.
They aren’t just relying on that to get people to buy it. They’re also putting an 8-year, 100,000 mile warranty on the fuel cell itself and giving owners 24-hour concierge and road side assistance services to help put their minds at ease. It won’t be an easy task because of the one major drawback to the vehicles: fuel infrastructure.
Currently, California is the state with the most hydrogen filling stations with a whopping nine. Their hope is that the number more than doubles before the end of the year.
This makes it a risk as a daily driver and a liability to anyone wanting to travel longer distances. The US government will likely step up to assist with getting these out on the road by buying a good chunk of them, but current estimates are very modest: 200 this year and as many as 3,000 by the end of 2017. This isn’t like the 1996 launch of the Prius hybrid that started a revolution. With the Prius, there were no questions about whether drivers would be able to make it to the next filling station. With the Mirai, those questions are lurking.
The risks will likely not discourage Toyota dealers who love to get the latest and greatest in technology. Considering the buyer profile for these vehicles will be males in their 50s with money and a background in technology, it will be appealing to deliver these green machines to their new owners.
It doesn’t get much greener. The vehicle only emits water vapor which makes it a favorite amongst environmentally conscious shoppers. This makes it even more appealing from an ecological perspective than the Tesla line of electric vehicles which is starting to make an impact in the United States. Still, there’s no way to tell if the appeal will transfer over. After all, the Tesla is a “sexy” brand right now while the Mirai and its hydrogen fuel cells are only starting to enter into awareness.
We’ll soon see just how effective the free fuel offer will be. This will have an effect on the acceleration of fuel cell vehicles from other manufacturers. If successful, they’ll rush. If slow, they’ll pull back until the infrastructure is in place to support them.
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