Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles grew more than 3-fold in 2016

hydrogen fuel cell vehicles sales 2016

Close to 2,500 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles were sold or leased globally in 2016, representing a more than three-fold increase compared to 2015, says a new report published by Information Trends.

Asia accounted for the largest share of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles sold in 2016, followed by North America.

The report, “Global Market for Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles, 2017,” stated that California grew the fastest in terms of sales and leases, but remained behind Japan in terms of volume.

hydrogen fuel cell vehicles sales 2016 by automakersDespite the growth, the number of fuel cell vehicles sold and leased are miniscule compared to the market, said Naqi Jaffery, president and CEO of Information Trends. However, the growth portends well for the future of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

Toyota’s Mirai dominated the market, selling or leasing more than 2,000 fuel cell vehicles worldwide, and Hyundai’s Tucson Fuel Cell was a distant second.

The report said that the upcoming Mercedes-Benz GLC F-Cell, equipped with a plug-in propulsion battery, represents a milestone the evolution of fuel cell vehicles.

GLC F-Cell, to be rolled out in the second half of 2017, ushers an era in which vehicles will be equipped with both fuel cells and plug-in propulsion batteries.

A companion report, Global Market for Hydrogen Fueling Stations, notes an increase in the intensity of hydrogen station deployments in several regions of the world.

Source: Information Trends