Japanese Government To Push FCVs Via $20k Subsidy

by Cameron Aubernon

July 24th, 2014 8:00 AM

japanese government to push fcvs via 20k subsidy

With Toyota ready to make big moves with its 2015 FCV, the Japanese government is ready with their own big move: $20,000 USD in incentives.

Autoblog Green reports the government will offer buyers of the hydrogen-powered sedan $20,000 in subsidies, which may bring down the reported $69,000 MSRP down to $49,000; EV subsidies in Japan max out at $8,500 per vehicle for comparison.

Meanwhile, the FCV will likely sell for $50,000 in the United States when it leaves the container ships next summer, and will be joined by Honda’s own FCV — name to be determined later — sometime in 2015.

#FCVs #GovernmentSubsidies #Honda #Japan #MY2015 #Toyota

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13 of 17 comments

Mike978 on Jul 24, 2014

Is it naive to think the usual suspects will be consistent and will criticize this subsidy by another Government which helps their favored companies?

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- Hummer on Jul 24, 2014
  
  I'm not saying anything, that's Japanese citizens money, not mine, they can subsidize them to the tune of 120% of the cars cost, and it won't be of my concern.
  
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- Stuki on Jul 24, 2014
  
  @Hummer Please vote accordingly next time some moronic US politician starts regurgitating lobbyist drivel about subsidies and unfair competition; as if having a bunch of Japanese saps pitch in to make your car cheaper, is somehow a bad thing.
  
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- RogerB34 on Jul 25, 2014
  
  @stuki Therefore, subsidies are the way to Jobs and Prosperity for All.
  
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PonchoIndian on Jul 24, 2014

Yes Where is highdesercat...oh highering illegals Where is Kix...oh driving silently holding up traffic.

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RogerB34 on Jul 24, 2014

The Japanese economic machine drove world trade in the 80's. The economic miracle was powered by government subsidies to favored industrial sectors. Wealth led to RE "investments" in California and Hawaii. Books were written by econs USA touting the way forward was to emulate the Japanese. Then came the market crash of 1992 and the Japanese economy remains stalled 22 years later.

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Martinwinlow on Jul 26, 2014

I'd be interested to hear what the Japanese media is making of this. And all because whoever designed the Fukushima nuclear plant didn't build it 10m higher up the hill. Where are they going to get the H2? Still, it'll be interesting to see how their plans pan out given that so many other governments are talking about making the same appalling mistake.

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- Thelaine on Jul 26, 2014
  
  Drop in the bucket compared to all the other "alternative" and "green energy" taxpayer blood and sweat-subsidized fiascos around the world. Go for it Japan. Pour the entire national budget into it. It's someone else's money, so who gives a sht. Plus, you get a kickback and a sweet job at Toyota after retirement. Remember, it does have an legitimate and justifiable purpose. After all, it is important for us to explore blah encourage alternative blah independence blah blah carbon blah puke...
  
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- FormerFF on Jul 26, 2014
  
  Most of the rest of the world makes hydrogen from natural gas, something I don't think Japan has all that much of. Problem #2 is that how do you distribute the hydrogen? Pumping it into high pressure delivery trucks is expensive and consumes lots of energy. The only alternative I can think of is to build a pipeline to each and every retail point, which sounds awfully pricey.
  
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- Thelaine on Jul 26, 2014
  
  @FormerFF Former FF, as to problem #2: What if you made the hydrogen from the natural gas at the point of sale? (I have no idea if this is practical).
  
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- FormerFF on Jul 26, 2014
  
  @thelaine That would work, if it's possible. Having to install production equipment at each filling station pretty well guarantees that the stations will be few and far between.
  
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- Thelaine on Jul 26, 2014
  
  @FormerFF So it would be like a Tesla Supercharger network, maybe. Depending on how many cars you sold, and in what region, you could set up hydrogen fueling stations at already existing gas stations as needed, at the buyer's home(?), and, I assume, at Toyota dealers.
  
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- FormerFF on Jul 26, 2014
  
  @FormerFF The current process of producing hydrogen from natural gas is a high temperature industrial process, and it is extremely unlikely to be done at someone's home or at a car dealership. A fueling station that made its own hydrogen would be a significant investment, and if that's how hydrogen cars get fueled, I would expect there would be a few large stations widely separated. The plan now is to deliver hydrogen to fueling stations by truck.
  
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