From the next Prius to paperweight: Hydrogen cars exasperate owners, prompt lawsuit against Toyota

This weekend, hundreds of people are expected to take to the streets of downtown Los Angeles for a protest, but they won’t be targeting federal agents or President Donald Trump.

Instead, they’re standing against what was presented to them as a type of environmentally friendly vehicle, including a model produced by America’s most popular car brand.

The Toyota Mirai and other hydrogen-powered vehicles were supposed to be the next wave of green cars, with Toyota boasting on its website that the “Mirai combines hydrogen with oxygen from the outside air to generate power, without creating tailpipe emissions, helping propel us into a future of possibilities.”

Instead, however, those who purchased a Mirai say there’s a lack of hydrogen fueling stations, and those stations that do exist are so unreliable that they’re paying tens of thousands of dollars for cars they can’t drive.

“People are paying $500, $600, $700 per month for a car they can’t use,” said attorney Jason Ingber, who represents hundreds of people who’ve purchased the hydrogen vehicles.

About 100 people marched with Ingber and his clients in Sacramento on June 22 to raise awareness, and hundreds will do the same this Sunday, June 29, in downtown Los Angeles.

Ingber called the Sacramento rally “powerful” and said he expects a similar result in downtown Los Angeles.

“Drivers showed up with signs, passion, and one clear message: Toyota needs to take back these cars and stop selling them,” he said. “We are building momentum. People are demanding real accountability. No more false promises. No more broken stations. No more taxpayer money wasted on failed hydrogen projects.”

‘Best thing since the Prius’

None of the Mirai owners who spoke with KTLA disliked the vehicle at first.

They were impressed with what Car & Driver calls “Lexus-level luxury” and the promise of a sustainable, emission-free vehicle offering “the benefits of an EV without lengthy battery-recharge times.”

In addition, Mirai owners loved the idea of getting a $15,000 fuel card with their purchase, helping offset a vehicle with a price over $50,000.

“They’re telling you, ‘Here is $15,000 of free fuel. It’ll last you three years. You know, it’s the next best thing since the Prius. You’re getting in early,'” Ingber said.

And despite their frustrations with Toyota, those who bought a Mirai still see some of the benefits.

“No one denies the engineering splendor of these cars. It’s a good product, just the hydrogen infrastructure system is where the crux of the issue is,” said Zachary Graham.

A refueling nightmare

The Mirai is primarily sold only in California, which is where almost all American hydrogen fueling stations are, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

A Toyota spokesperson confirmed that the 14,000-plus Mirais that have been sold are primarily in California.

“Yes, it is true that the Toyota Mirai is sold primarily in California, as that is where the majority of retail hydrogen fuel and infrastructure exist,” the spokesperson said via email. “There are also areas where there is also infrastructure availability, such as some regions of Canada, Europe, and Japan. There are limited numbers of Mirai [fuel cell electric vehicle] sold outside California in the U.S. in places like the Pacific Northwest.”

At Toyota dealerships, salespeople emphasized the dozens of hydrogen refueling stations around, especially in Southern California and the Bay Area.

While it’s true there are several dozen stations, as well as an app to help drivers find them, the issue is that those stations are largely unreliable, said Ingber and his clients.

Common complaints include non-functioning stations, fuel nozzles freezing to vehicles as a result of the frigid hydrogen and an inability to refuel more than one car in a row, they said.

So while having $15,000 to spend on fuel is great, it’s irrelevant if you can’t count on being able to procure that fuel when you need it. Even the app that is supposed to track the stations is often incorrect, said Mirai purchaser Robert Adamson.

“These pumps are always, always down, and often it’ll say that they’re up, and you’ll drive with very little fuel left in your tank and end up at one of these pumps, and they’re down,” he said. “You have to sit there and call [the station operator for help], and hopefully somebody comes or is able to turn it back on, or you just have to get towed. I think I was towed half a dozen, maybe more, times, just because of these circumstances.”

Mirai owners say that Toyota does pay for towing services, but that doesn’t solve the issue of unreliable fuel sources, because of which they’ve been late or missed work, or were unable to take children to school or activities.

And even when one station is fairly reliable, that only helps so much, as California’s car culture requires more abundant refueling areas, said actor Robert Palmer Watkins.

“When you’re an independent contractor and you’re an actor and your job is literally driving all over L.A. for different sets and shoots, there were many times that you can’t get to that one specific pump,” Watkins said. “Imagine if there was one gas station that had gasoline that your car was able to drive off of. It sounds doable if it’s close to your house, but it can be really complicated if your job requires you to drive all around California.”

A Toyota spokesperson noted that “as an emerging technology, Toyota recognizes that certain Mirai customers in California may experience refueling challenges, including closures of hydrogen stations.”

“Affected Mirai customers can locate other stations across the region using tools like the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Partnership website (h2fcp.org) or contact our Brand Engagement Center and speak with a Mirai specialist at 1-800-331-4331 (option #2) to discuss resources available to them,” the spokesperson said. “We will continue to work with affected Mirai customers to help identify potential ways to address their concerns on a case-by-case basis. We remain committed to working with stakeholders to support California’s hydrogen refueling infrastructure now and into the future.”

Another factor, though one largely outside of Toyota’s control, is that even when the stations are functioning, the price of hydrogen has skyrocketed over the past few years, flipping what had been a cheaper alternative to gasoline into a more expensive fuel choice that’s rapidly depleted those $15,000 fuel cards.

“What should have been three or more years lasted not even a year and a half,” Adamson said.

‘Just a paperweight sitting in my driveway’

Between the geographic limitations of the Mirai and the numerous dissatisfied customers, the vehicles lose a great deal of their value on the resale market, according to Ingber and his clients.

The Toyota spokesperson noted that “resale value is affected by a number of factors, including incentives at the time of purchase as well as post-purchase incentives and tax rebates.”

“Therefore, it is not feasible for us to provide a specific answer, but there are third-party tools that are often used by consumers to find a reference for the value of their vehicle based on current market trends or conditions,” the spokesperson said.

Kelley Blue Book shows used vehicles are often 75% to 80% discounted off of their new price, though Mirai owners say they’ve been offered far less than that.

“You can’t sell them. No one will buy them,” Adamson said. “And Toyota, they’ll give you, like, 500 bucks. 500 bucks.”

Toyota noted its dealers are independently franchised and operated.

Adamson added that he couldn’t take that offer, so he’s stuck with a vehicle he can’t drive.

“It’s just a paperweight sitting in my driveway,” he said.

Not-so-green fuel

Ingber and his clients also protested what they characterized as greenwashing.

While it’s true that hydrogen vehicles don’t produce the environmentally hazardous emissions that gas cars do, the production of that hydrogen is far from green.

The vast majority of hydrogen often comes from refining natural gas, meaning it’s classified not as “green” energy but as “gray” energy, as it requires the use of fossil fuels.

Despite these origins, hydrogen fuel is awarded tax breaks and credits by the government.

“They have to use methane to produce the hydrogen, and they’re not being honest about it,” Graham said. “They’re getting government benefits and they’re not even earning them.”

Toyota noted that there are multiple ways to produce hydrogen, and the company is not in the infrastructure business in the U.S.

“We recommend reaching out to fueling providers to understand their feedstock sources,” the spokesperson said.

Toyota’s future with hydrogen

The Toyota spokesperson said hydrogen vehicles are just one part of “a multi-pathway approach to vehicle electrification,” the aim of which is to “provide customers choices to help reduce carbon emissions.”

“Hydrogen continues to be an important part of that approach,” they noted, adding that the company has “announced plans to look at the possibility of more vertical integration with infrastructure providers.”

In the meantime, the company is moving ahead with hydrogen-powered vehicles, including the construction of a new hydrogen station at the Toyota North America Parts Center California to service commercial trucks.

“Hydrogen as a fuel — and especially fuel cells — offer benefits that can make a positive change, and we are invested in their long-term success,” said Toyota Group Vice President of Powertrain Engineering Jordan Choby.