Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCEVs), once hailed as a game-changer that could replace internal combustion engines, have now become a burden to consumers. With an inadequate charging infrastructure and skyrocketing charging costs, hydrogen cars are facing a collective lawsuit from frustrated owners.
According to the LA Times on August 13, a group of consumers who own or lease Toyota's hydrogen fuel cell vehicle 'Mirai' filed a class action lawsuit against Toyota Motor Sales USA in July. The 20 plaintiffs claim that Toyota dealers failed to properly inform them about California's inadequate hydrogen charging system.
Niloufar Noori, the attorney handling the case, stated, "The plaintiffs were told by Toyota sales representatives that they would have convenient and easy access to charging stations, but this was far from the reality." She added, "Thousands of people in California are suffering from the same issues." According to the attorney, the number of plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit continues to grow.
The lack of charging infrastructure is the biggest complaint among Mirai owners. While California plans to build 200 hydrogen charging stations by 2025, there are currently only 54 stations in operation. A Korean American who owned a Mirai for the past two years said, "In the vicinity of Koreatown in LA, there are only two charging stations, one in Hollywood and one in West LA." They added, "Even though the distance wasn't too far, the chargers were often broken, or the hydrogen fuel was depleted, so I had to return empty-handed many times."
Soaring charging costs are another major reason why Mirai is being shunned by consumers. The cost of hydrogen has surged from $13 per kilogram in 2022 to $36 in 2024. Initially, Toyota provided Mirai customers with a fuel card worth $15,000, assuming that the hydrogen cost would remain at $13 per kilogram for at least five years. However, with the price more than doubling in just two years, the incentives for Mirai buyers have effectively diminished.

Mirai owners also claim that the driving range advertised by Toyota is not accurate. Toyota officially announced that the Mirai's driving range per charge is 575 kilometers for the Limited trim and 647 kilometers for the XLE trim. However, owners have experienced driving ranges that are about 160 kilometers shorter than these claims.

Another drawback is that due to the low adoption rate, it takes a long time to obtain parts when the vehicle breaks down. According to industry sources, only 73 units of the Toyota Mirai were sold in the second quarter of this year, a 93% decrease compared to the previous year. Hyundai's Nexo sold just 26 units, a 35% decline from the previous year.

The LA Times reported that the sluggish supply of hydrogen vehicles is casting a shadow over California's carbon-zero plans. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) had previously predicted that more than 10% of new cars sold in 2035 would be hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, with this figure rising to over 20% annually by 2045. Last year, 1.78 million new cars were sold in California.
However, the sales volume of hydrogen vehicles remains negligible compared to other eco-friendly vehicle types, such as electric vehicles, hybrids, and plug-in hybrids.

<Hongyong Park>