Toyota will rely heavily on hydrogen in the coming years. And it was France that was chosen as the test bench for this new technology.
A car made in France was voted Car of the Year
The manufacturer Toyota is in the news earlier this year. And France has also been in the spotlight since the Toyota Yaris, manufactured at the Onnaing plant near Valenciennes (north), was chosen. Car of the year 2021. The verdict was passed on March 1st by a jury of 59 European journalists from specialized and non-specialized media.
The Japanese city dweller received 266 points at the end of this election. It is ahead of the electric Fiat 500 (240 points) and the Cupra Formentor (239 points), following the Peugeot 208. Our French candidate, the Citroen C4remains at the foot of the podium with 143 points.
It is difficult not to see this victory as a symbol of the turning point in the automotive sector: the Yaris has indeed contributed to the democratization of hybrid powertrains. Before the Renault Clio-E was released, the Japanese was the only city car that used a drive that combined heat and electricity. Since then these models have been particularly democratized in recent years.
For example in 2020, 74,600 plug-in hybrid cars were registered in France. Exponential growth as only 18,580 units were sold in the previous year and 14,500 in 2018.
After the hybrid, Toyota is already relying on hydrogen
However, the Japanese manufacturer hopes to be able to go even further with environmentally friendly innovations. This first quarter will indeed see the commercialization of the Toyota Mirai 2which is no longer run on petrol and no longer only on electricity, but to hydrogen.
This new technology combines a tank filled with hydrogen and a battery that mixes this gas with oxygen in the air to generate electricity. The promises are great: rejection of water vapor, recharge in minutes, and autonomy that grows up to 600 kilometers.
The only brake for the moment for all these promises: The price, which remains high, counts 68,000 euros. Toyota does not want to apply this new technology only to private cars and seems to have chosen France as a privileged field of experimentation.
Models are currently being tested that could actually soon equip public transport in Paris. ON Toyota hydrogen bus is currently being tested by RATP. The Japanese group is also investing in the development of one Fleet of hydrogen taxisto companies in the capital.
Highlight of it “Hydrogenation”, Toyota aims Olympic Games in Paris in 2024 This could be a great showcase to convince motorists to adopt this new engine that is no longer so futuristic.
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