Toyota’s promotion of hydrogen-powered vehicles during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games is drawing strong criticism from the scientific community. An open letter, signed by some 100 scientists, warns that these vehicles run counter to global targets for reducing CO2 emissions, and questions the real effectiveness of hydrogen-powered vehicles. According to the signatories, the adoption of these cars risks damaging the image of the Games and the transition to more sustainable transport.
Hydrogen vs. Electricity: An Energy Debate
David Cebon, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Cambridge University, criticized Toyota for its insistence on hydrogen. He describes this strategy as “dilatory and cynical”, aimed at delaying the transition to electric vehicles. Indeed, Toyota, a pioneer of hybrid models, has fallen behind in the development of fully electric cars, preferring to continue investing in hydrogen technologies, alongside BMW and Hyundai.
Scientists argue that electric vehicles are the most effective way of decarbonizing transport. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), electric vehicles require less energy and are more economical in the long term than “green” hydrogen vehicles.
Green Hydrogen Challenges
Green hydrogen, produced from renewable electricity, requires considerable energy infrastructure, such as wind turbines and solar panels, and remains expensive. Most of the hydrogen produced today comes from fossil sources, emitting as much CO2 as the world’s aviation. The Hydrogen Science Coalition, including Cebon, believes that hydrogen will play only a minor role in the energy transition by 2050.
The letter’s signatories call on Toyota to replace its hydrogen-powered vehicles with electric models, or cease all promotion of the latter. Neither Toyota nor the International Olympic Committee have commented on the letter to date. However, Toyota had previously indicated that its Olympic cars would be powered by renewable hydrogen supplied by Air Liquide, a partner of the Games.
The controversy highlights the tensions between different visions of the future of energy. The efficiency of electric vehicles and the challenges of green hydrogen raise crucial questions for the transition to sustainable transport. This situation calls for broader reflection on the energy strategies needed to achieve carbon neutrality.
