TOKYO -- Toyota is rolling out its next hydrogen fuel cell passenger car this year in a bid to more than double its global sales of the zero-emissions technology in the current fiscal year.
But instead of making it a dedicated nameplate, like the Mirai, Toyota will option the hydrogen drivetrain in the upcoming Crown sedan when it first hits the market in Japan this fall.
Toyota has no plans at present to sell the hydrogen variant in the U.S.
But a pre-production prototype of the fuel cell Crown recently on display at Fuji Speedway was a left-hand drive model, indicating the car is headed for some overseas markets in addition to Japan.
Hydrogen fuel cell technology is a critical link in Toyota's multi-pronged strategy for achieving carbon neutrality. The addition of a second passenger vehicle to its fuel cell lineup, following the Mirai, brings Toyota a step closer to popularizing the technology.
Currently, Toyota sells only two hydrogen fuel cell vehicles — the Mirai and the Sora fuel cell bus.