Toyota Motor Co. wants to virtually eliminate gasoline-powered vehicles from its fleet by 2050, and is betting that hydrogen cars, rather than electric vehicles, will be the long-term answer.
The Japanese maker recently introduced the Mirai, its first retail fuel-cell vehicle, and though sales have so far been measured in the hundreds, the target is to reach 30,000 annually by 2020, and even higher in the years beyond.
A number of other automakers are experimenting with hydrogen power; Hyundai already offers a fuel-cell version of its Tucson SUV, and Honda will launch a retail model next year.
While most competitors are focusing on hybrids, with a heavy emphasis on battery-based models, Toyota remains skeptical about the long-term role of electric vehicle technology...snip
...Toyota has been openly skeptical of battery power other than limited use of nickel-metal technology in hybrids. It is grudgingly planning a new version of the Prius plug-in hybrid, primarily to meet California's demanding zero-emissions vehicle, or ZEV mandate. But the carmaker has made it clear it does not see a long-term future for plug-ins or pure battery-electric vehicles...snip
"You may think 35 years is a long time," Ise said Wednesday. "But for an automaker to envision all combustion engines as gone is pretty extraordinary." http://www.nbcnews.com/business/autos/toyota-phase-out-gas-powered-vehicles-doubling-down-hydrogen-n444406
Dr. Michio Kaku on Hydrogen Future 2015 Consumer Electronics Show | Toyota
Toyota makes and sells almost 200,000 cars per week. Anyone want to bet against the biggest car manufacturer in the world?