Japanese legacy automaker Toyota continues to enjoy steady growth in its hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) sales in the United States in the third quarter of 2023, InsideEVs reported, citing the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Partnership’s data.
Hydrogen FCEV sales in the US (Q3 2023 and YTD)
The US hydrogen FCEV industry maintained its rally in the previous quarter, particularly in California, which currently offers the series-produced models.
As per the data, hydrogen FCEV new registrations surged 531% over a year ago to 966 units in the US in Q3 2023 alone.
Notably, this FCEV sales data comes from Baum and Associates and is based on “car sales sold by a dealer to a retail or fleet customer.”
In the second quarter, registrations hit a total of 1,076 units. It demonstrates a slight quarter-on-quarter sales decline in Q3 2023.
This year to date, overall hydrogen vehicle sales grew 39% YoY to a total of 2,767 units.
Toyota Mirai dominates
As expected, Toyota’s iconic Mirai FCEV continues to dominate the sales rankings with a YoY increase of 1,016% to 882 units. In the first nine months of the year, Toyota Mirai recorded a sales increase of 81% YoY to 2,604.
Toyota California boasts that the 2023 Mirai FCEV has a maximum driving range of 647km on a single hydrogen tank. It apparently offers more style, space, and smarter technology.
On the other hand, South Korean automaker Hyundai’s Nexo model declined by a notable 8% to just 68 unit sales. Year to date, its sales declined 50% to only 173 units.
Below are the hydrogen FCEV sales reported by automakers in Q3 2023 and YTD:
| Models | Q3 2023 and YoY Change | YTD |
| Toyota Mirai | 882 (up 1,016%) | 2,604 (up 81%) |
| Hyundai Nexo | 68 (down 8%) | 173 (down 50%) |
In hindsight, FCEV sales in the US reached more than 2,707 units, InsideEVs reported. However, it indicated a 19% YoY drop, suggesting a better industry performance and results in 2023.
Refueling infrastructure
According to the report, California-based open retail hydrogen stations recorded 55 sites as of October 25. Refer to the data below:
- Open – Retail: 55
- Open – Legacy Retail: 0
- Currently Unavailable: 10
- In Construction: 5
- In Permitting: 18
- Proposed: 4
- On hold: 5
- Total (Light Duty): 97
It is worth noting that the total FCEV sales in the US have already surpassed 17,700 as of the end of Q3 2023, excluding the retired units. This figure represents a 25% increase from over a year ago. Of that total, Toyota Mirai accounted for nearly 14,000.
All that said, the segment is now on track to cross the 20,000 sales unit threshold by 2025, big thanks to Toyota’s hydrogen FCEV model.
