In recent years, Toyota has noticeably increased its efforts in the battery-electric vehicle segment. However, the Japanese company still holds out hope for hydrogen as an alternative fuel.

We thought that Toyota would gradually move away from hydrogen and focus on all-electric vehicles. There were good signs that hinted at that. In 2024, the company became a founding partner of Ionna, one of the most promising new DC fast-charging networks. The company’s EV lineup has been expanded to three models in the US (Toyota bZ, Toyota C-HR, and Toyota bZ Woodland, plus Lexus derivatives and a partnership with Subaru). Toyota’s EVs also gained access to the Tesla Supercharging network.

Unfortunately (at least from our perspective), Toyota is still betting on hydrogen fuel cells as an alternative zero-emission solution.

More Hydrogen Infrastructure

In December, Toyota Motor North America announced a strategic investment in FirstElement Fuel, the largest retail hydrogen fueling infrastructure provider in California, which operates 92 retail fueling positions across 38 locations. For reference, according to the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Partnership‘s data, there are only 51 open retail hydrogen sites in California. This number actually decreased compared to two years ago.

The brief release does not include any details, besides a goal of strengthening the hydrogen refueling infrastructure, but it’s obvious that investment in hydrogen sites is a missed opportunity to build more charging infrastructure.

“TMNA and FEF aim to strengthen infrastructure for today’s fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) drivers and bolster the hydrogen fueling network for current and future generations of FCEVs.”

Toyota’s move is disappointing, especially since its total hydrogen car sales over the past 10 years (between Q4 2015 and Q3 2025) amounted to just 14,761. That’s less than Toyota and Lexus’ all-electric car sales in the first three quarters of this year (17,603).

The Future Is All-Electric

We could understand (although not agree) Toyota’s hope a decade ago when the first modern EVs lacked range. However, since then, all-electric cars have already beaten hydrogen-powered ones on range and price, not to mention fuel cost or efficiency (hydrogen was never even close).

Now, we are at a time when EVs can recharge (or at least replenish range) similarly fast as hydrogen EVs. The hydrogen infrastructure is almost non-existent even in California, the only state with some, compared to a pretty dense DC fast-charging infrastructure that’s quickly expanding throughout the rest of the country. Additionally, EVs can rely on home charging most of the time.

We are surprised by Toyota, which still thinks that hydrogen might take off. To us, it really seems like the company is determined to offer unnecessary life support for hydrogen infrastructure.