While lithium-ion batteries are the dominant technology in electric vehicles (EVs) at present, Toyota’s swappable hydrogen fuel cartridges may end that dominance by tackling one of the EV industry’s greatest challenges – range anxiety.
Now that EVs have been shown to be safe, reliable and cheaper over time, concerns over charging infrastructure access and long-range journeys are some of the few roadblocks left to widespread EV uptake.
Toyota’s hydrogen fuel cells may be the answer, offering a portable solution that can be hot swapped by hand, on the go.
Toyota's hydrogen cartridge in a purpose-built backpack.
Toyota’s portable hydrogen cartridge
Hydrogen cartridges are designed to be carried by hand and used in everyday situations.
The units are light enough to be stored inside a vehicle as back-up fuel options and powerful enough to serve as secondary energy sources during power outages or similar requirements.
Unveiled at the Mobility Show Bizweek 2024, Toyota used the cartridges as fuel cells for cooking, using a hydrogen-powered cooker developed together with Rinnai Corporation, a leading appliance manufacturer.
The company says it “aims to find matches with the technologies and ideas of various companies and startups” for its hydrogen cartridges, leveraging the technology’s adaptability to help build a hydrogen-based society.
Hydrogen ASX companies
As giants like Toyota blaze new trails for hydrogen technologies, a handful of small cap ASX companies are in turn pioneering the hydrogen production industry of tomorrow.
Australian companies like Provaris Energy Ltd (ASX:PV1, OTC:GBBLF) are building the hydrogen shipping and compression technologies needed to move the precious energy source around the world.
PV1 recently cleared the European Union’s Renewable Energy Directive II (RED II) emissions standards for the bulk transportation of hydrogen.
The RED II initiative mandates that at least 32% of the European Union’s energy consumption must come from renewable sources by 2030.
The company has also entered into hydrogen offtake and supply agreements with Norwegian Hydrogen and Uniper, one of Germany’s largest energy providers, to develop hydrogen supply chains from Norway and other potential Nordic sites to import locations in northwest Europe.
Closer to home, Gold Hydrogen Ltd (ASX:GHY) has produced very high hydrogen concentrations from its Ramsay 1 and Ramsay 2 wells at its project in South Australia, recording purities as high as 95.8%.
The Australian government is also already investing heavily in the domestic hydrogen industry – Australia’s hydrogen pipeline is currently valued at more than $200 billion over more than 100 projects, with more than a quarter already in operation or under construction.