Skip to main content

Toyota’s first hydrogen car delivery in America will be a contest giveaway

Toyota FCV
Image used with permission by copyright holder
When Toyota’s hydrogen fuel cell car (FCV) goes on sale in the U.S. next year, there will undoubtedly be a long waiting list.

For one lucky Californian, though, the list will be a lot shorter.

Recommended Videos

Toyota and the Environmental Media Association (EMA) have partnered to create a contest that will decide the first American FCV owner. Residents can enter by purchasing tickets online that will raise money for the EMA’s nonprofit programs. The EMA uses the entertainment industry as a vessel to educate the masses about environmental issues, while also encouraging green film production.

The contest is available solely in the Golden State due to the infrastructural support of hydrogen in California.

The winner will be announced at the 24th annual EMA Awards, held at Warner Bros. Studios on October 18th.

Related: Toyota’s head of R&D says EVS are still a Nobel Prize away from viability

California may be most hydrogen capable state in the Union right now, but it’s certainly not the only government embracing the technology.

Auto Express is reporting that the British Government, in collaboration with Toyota, has raised £11 million ($17.7 million) to build 15 hydrogen fueling stations throughout the country, with operational status coming by the end of 2015.

Business minister Matthew Hancock is optimistic that the partnership will spur British commuters to embrace hydrogen-powered cars, making the United Kingdom a “global leader” in low emissions vehicles.

“Hydrogen cars present us with a huge economic opportunity and can bolster our internationally renowned automotive industry,” he said. “We want to make the UK one of the best places in the world to design, manufacture and sell ultra-low emission vehicles.”

The United Kingdom currently has 13 public stations. California, by contrast, has 10, but Toyota hopes to help build 50 there by 2016.

Topics
Andrew Hard
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Andrew first started writing in middle school and hasn't put the pen down since. Whether it's technology, music, sports, or…
Could extended range EVs be commonplace? Experts think so
Scout Motors Terra truck front

We're all familiar with traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and electric vehicles (EV), but there are actually vehicles that are kind of in between the two. The most common is the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), which has a smaller electric battery that's designed to allow a vehicle that would otherwise be gas-powered only to drive shorter distances on electric power or to improve their gas mileage by combining the two.

The PHEV approach is still largely gasoline-first, considering the fact that its electric range is typically very low, and much of the time PHEV drivers will end up using their vehicle in hybrid mode anyway -- not to mention the fact that the electric motors often aren't that powerful.

Read more
Now anyone in LA can take Waymo robotaxi rides 24/7
A Waymo robotaxi picking up a passenger.

It just got much easier to take a robotaxi ride in Los Angeles. Waymo announced on Tuesday that anyone in the California city can now take fully autonomous rides, removing the need to join a wait list.

Alphabet-owned Waymo started offering paid robotaxi rides in Los Angeles earlier this year via its Waymo One app, but strong demand resulted in a wait list of nearly 300,000 people wanting to join the service.

Read more
Rivian, VW venture kicks off next-gen platform for R1, Scout EVs
Rivian R2, R3, and R3X

The big challenge for Rivian, the EV maker known for its innovative electric and software systems, has long been how to reach the next stage of growth.

That stage came within reach in June, when the California-based company and Volkswagen announced a joint venture involving a $5 billion injection from the German automaker.

Read more