Tokyo Reveals Plan for 600 Hydrogen Taxis, with Several Ready to Pick Up Passengers

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike, left, sees off a hydrogen fuel-cell taxi in front of the Tokyo metropolitan government building on Wednesday.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

6:00 JST, September 5, 2025

The Tokyo metropolitan government has announced a plan to bring 600 hydrogen fuel-cell taxis to the city by fiscal 2030, marking the first attempt in Japan to introduce such taxis on a large scale.

Tokyo plans to welcome 200 hydrogen-powered taxis this fiscal year, with seven entering service on Wednesday.

The taxis will be Toyota Motor Corp.’s Crown model. They have a driving range of 820 kilometers and need about three minutes to fill up on hydrogen. As the cars run solely on hydrogen, they emit no carbon dioxide.

The initiative is part of the Tokyo H2 project. Under the project, the Tokyo metropolitan government is working with the Japan Hydrogen Association, created by the government and private sector, to promote hydrogen use.

Tokyo is also aiming to see 10,000 commercial cars — including taxis, buses and trucks — powered by hydrogen fuel cells and running on its streets by fiscal 2035.

“Hydrogen is a key to decarbonizing,” said Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike. “We want people to feel that they live in a society with hydrogen. We want to move things forward more quickly.”

Koji Sato, cochair of the association and Toyota Motor President, said, “Operating [hydrogen taxis] in Tokyo will contribute significantly to raising awareness about hydrogen.”