Japan leads the race for a hydrogen fuel-cell car

Japanese carmakers, such as Toyota, are developing an affordable hydrogen car using fuel cells. Meanwhile, the government and energy companies are funding hydrogen refueling stations needed for the cars’ widespread use.

It may still sound like science fiction to some. But Japan is taking a lead in making zero-emissions hydrogen-fueled cars a reality.

It’s part of the country’s aspiration to cut its carbon emissions 80 percent by 2050; nearly a quarter of those emissions come from transportation. And it’s a more urgent task in a country that imports all of its oil.

Japan leads Asia in early hydrogen-car infrastructure and is a world-beater in emerging fuel cell technologies.

“Hydrogen is still in very, very early days,” cautions Ashvin Chotai, London-based managing director of Intelligence Automotive Asia. “But in the area of green cars, Japan has been investing a lot further ahead than the Western companies in the last few years, and they have an edge.”

Christian Science Monitor