Automotive News is reporting that Honda and Toyota have begun negotiations with the Japanese government to put 6,000 hydrogen cars on the streets of Tokyo by 2020, right in time for the Summer Olympics.
The country's capital plans to spend 45.2 billion yen (approx. $460 million) on fuel cell vehicle subsidies and 35 hydrogen stations as part of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s desire to reduce Japan’s reliance on nuclear power.
Since the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that caused its worst nuclear disaster since World War II, Japan has been investing massively in hydrogen power.
“The Olympics are a good opportunity to showcase new technologies,” said Hiroshi Takahashi, a research fellow at Fujitsu Research Institute. “It’s also a significant chance to attract new investment and update the city’s transportation system to make it fuel cell friendly.”
You may recall that Toyota recently unveiled the Mirai, its first-ever fuel cell vehicle, which will go on sale in California and Europe later this year.
Source: Automotive News