The Japanese government will include 1,000 hydrogen refueling stations for fuel-cell vehicles deployed across the country by 2030 in a draft of its growth strategy due to be hammered out in June, Nikkei has learned.
The plan to increase the stations sixfold from the current level is part of Tokyo's goal to have all new car sales be electric by the middle of the next decade. Hydrogen vehicles employ fuel cells to power electric motors and would be included in this target.
The draft also includes a plan to attract advanced semiconductor factories by providing support measures "that are comparable to that of other countries."
Japan has pledged to reduce net carbon emission to zero by 2050.
The draft envisions electric vehicles, including those fueled by hydrogen, "reaching the same level of economy and convenience as gasoline cars by 2030 at the latest." Convenience would be increased by adding more fast-charging and hydrogen stations, while economy would receive a boost through such measures as purchase subsidies for electric vehicles.
The country currently has about 160 hydrogen stations and has previously pledged to increase that number to 320 by 2025, making the newest target a significant increase.
