Despite cheap petrol, Toyota is confident of the future for hydrogen
With the American petrol price currently averaging as low as $2.50 per gallon, it may seem a strange time for Toyota to back an alternative fuel, such as it is doing with its Mirai hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. However Craig Scott, one of the executives leading the development of the Mirai, is not concerned as he also served on the team that launched the best-selling Prius at a time when petrol was similarly as cheap: "When we launched Prius [in the US] back in 2001, gas was about $1 a gallon, which was pretty tough for a car that is fuel efficient," he said. "The same thing is true for the Mirai. In California, gas is $3.50 a gallon which makes it tough, but these things are cyclical."
With the average price for a gallon of gasoline falling below $2.50, it may seem like a strange time to introduce a vehicle powered by hydrogen. But for Craig Scott, one of the executives leading the development of Toyota 's all-new Mirai, launching a fuel-efficient car during a period of low energy prices is nothing new.

Toyota's Mirai is a hydrogen cell fuel based vehicle. Meghan Reeder | CNBC

More than a decade ago, Scott served on the team that launched the gas-electric hybrid Prius, which later went on to become the best-selling hybrid. Now, despite gasoline once again being cheap, Scott remains confident that the environmentally friendly Mirai will get plenty of interest. "When we launched Prius [in the U.S.] back in 2001, gas was about $1 a gallon, which was pretty tough for a car that is fuel efficient," he said. "The same thing is true for Mirai. In California, gas is $3.50 a gallon which makes it tough, but these things are cyclical." The Mirai is the auto industry's latest push to make hydrogen fuel cell vehicles more than just a concept. The car can go 312 miles on a full tank of hydrogen, and looks and drives like most other new sedans. In other words, it's smooth, comfortable, and—most important to early adopters—clean-burning. The only emission is water vapor.

California, known for its strict vehicle emission requirements, will be the first state to roll out the Mirai next month. The Golden State is home to 10 of the 12 public hydrogen refueling stations in America, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Although other refueling stations are in the works, this lack of infrastructure has been a source of frustration for some of those already driving a hydrogen-powered car and a point of criticism for skeptics. "If I didn't live close to the stations I wouldn't be a happy person," said Paul Berkman, from Corona del Mar, California. Berkman owns a hydrogen-powered Hyundai Tuscon SUV. "That's the only reason I chose this [car]," he said. "I have three alternatives within a two- to three-mile radius. If there was only one I might maybe think twice about it."

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Another issue with hydrogen-powered cars is that the current refueling stations take a long time to fill up a vehicle. "I was surprised," Berkman said. "It's not a three-minute fill, it's about a half hour." Skeptics have long had doubted whether hydrogen-powered vehicles will ever catch on. This year, Tesla CEO Elon Musk called the idea of them silly. "It is just very difficult to make hydrogen, store it and use it in a car," he said.