Transport

Hydrogen-powered vehicle sales rose in California in 2023, but still less than 1% of zero-emission cars

Less than 100 FCEVs were sold per month in Q4 amid fuel supply crisis

A Toyota Mirai at a hydrogen refuelling station in California.
A Toyota Mirai at a hydrogen refuelling station in California.Photo: Toyota
California — the only market for fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) in the US — saw 2,979 of the hydrogen-powered vehicles sold last year, according to figures released by public-private body the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Partnership.

Stay ahead on hydrogen with our free newsletter

Keep up with the latest developments in the international hydrogen industry with the free Accelerate Hydrogen newsletter. Sign up now for an unbiased, clear-sighted view of the fast-growing hydrogen sector.
Sign up now

While this is a slight increase from 2022, when 2,707 FCEVs were sold, these numbers pale in comparison to battery-electric vehicles (BEVs).

The California New Car Dealers Association tracked 291,518 BEVs sold in the state in the first three-quarters of the year — with more than 100,000 sold in both Q2 and Q3 — representing more than a fifth of all cars sold over that period.

However, official figures for zero-emission vehicle registrations for the full year are not due to be released by the California Energy Commission until 31 January.

California also saw a slump in FCEV sales toward the end of the year, with less than 100 sold from October to December.

This drop in sales could reflect the state’s months-long H2 fuel supply crisis, which started in September and drove prices as high as $36/kg at the pump.
Hydrogen Insight calculated at the time that these price hikes meant that filling up a Toyota Mirai in California would be 14 times more expensive than fully charging an equivalent Tesla Model 3 EV.
At the end of September, half of the operational H2 refuelling sites in California were unavailable to drivers.

Data from the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Partnership now shows that only a fifth of hydrogen filling stations are currently shuttered (11 out of 55).

FCEVs have struggled to take off in every major market they are sold except China, which saw a 72% year-on-year increase in sales in 2023.
Japan and South Korea both had half the FCEVs sales or registrations from the previous year, while Germany, the largest European market, saw a near-70% drop in annual sales.
(Copyright)
CaliforniaUSFuel cellsRoad transportfuel-cell vehicles
Published 29 January 2024, 15:31Updated 29 January 2024, 15:31