Toyota is taking on the hydrogen fuel-cell car haters including Elon Musk
Elon Musk doesn't have a high opinion of the hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered car. Back in 2013, in Germany, he infamously called the technology "so bullshit." He's also referred to fuel-cells as "fool cells."
Toyota, on the other hand, is big on fuel-cells and hydrogen. The automaker is bringing a new vehicle, the Mirai, to market later this year, after revealing the hydrogen-powered 4-door in late 2014.
The challenge for Toyota isn't simply to introduce the whole idea of running a car on hydrogen, something that's unfamiliar due to the very small number of fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) on the road, as well as the limited refueling network. It's also to overcome negative impressions of FCEVs. When Elon Musk talks, people listen.
In a new ad campaign produced by the agency Droga5 and tagged "Fueled by Everything," Toyota is taking the direct approach. The company is showing, quite literally, how a Mirai can run on bullshit.
The first 3-minute spot, "Fueled by Bullsh*t," was directed by Morgan Spurlock. In it, fuel-cell engineer Scott Blanchet introduces the concept then heads for a dairy farm, where a farmer provides access to a huge pile of cow dung. The engineer loads up, the drives off to introduce us to the hydrogen-extraction process. Essentially, the poop marinates in large pools and generates biogas, which can then have the hydrogen removed. The dairy farmer returns, he and the engineer fuel up a Mirai, and they drive back to farm...snip more
When Toyota is done with Musk, the little Musk-Rat will wish he never talked Bullsh*t. Because Toyota is the biggest car manufacturer in the world- 10 million cars per year. They KNOW Cars. Musk-Rat knows Bullshit.