Mirai sales boom

Where does/did the Federal tax credits and State tax rebates come from for each Tesla sale to the buyer?

 

Daimler Trucks building facilities at Esslingen for fuel-cell pre-production - Green Car Congress

 

Ballard expanding MEA production capacity 6x by early 2021 to meet expected growth in fuel cell vehicle demand - Green Car Congress

 

I first read about hydrogen cars in an Issac Asimov column in the Fantasy & Science Fiction pulp magazine. I think I still have it in a box somewhere, but it was probably early '90s. When in waiting rooms, I'd read the auto mags, and they would cover hydrogen concept cars of the time. We've discussed past FCEVs here, including the FCHV; https://priuschat.com/search/211342709/?q=fchv&t=post&o=relevance

HW Bush once mentioned hydrogen and cars in a State of the Union. New York Once had hydrogen stations, Shell creates cluster of hydrogen stations in NY area - ScienceDirect, I only used Google for a source to cite. Pro-hydrogen groups have been promoting the gas in cars and vehicles for years. If it hasn't sunken in with most of the public, it is because the cars might as well not exist if there isn't a way to refuel near them.

California has been supporting and promoting hydrogen for years now; they started building the hydrogen highway back in 2004. Private individuals were able to lease a FCX Clarity in 2008. FCEVs even got a tax credit back when hybrids were getting them, though there wasn't any ones actually for sale. If the public doesn't know about FCEVs in a state with hydrogen stations, it is on the on those pushing hydrogen. The Leaf and and Volt sold more than the Mirai in their first couple years, and they arrived before the Tesla had a car of their own.

And why should Toyota want to inform the public about a car they are selling for less than it costs to make? Without the need for ZEV credits, they might have held off a few more years before releasing a FCEV. A FCEV is worth more though, so they can sell less of them than a BEV to meet their target.

Same place as for hydrogen cars. We just got far more cars on the road and across the nation.

The fact is, Tesla's have depreciation comparable to other models in their class, if not better. Other cars getting such subsidies have a larger drop in used values. The Model S is holding 50% of value after five years, while the Mirai is at maybe 33% after three.

Fuel cells might work for commercial vehicles. There is a lower infrastructure cost to getting them going over a meaningful area. But hydrogen working for trucks doesn't mean it will work for cars. We didn't abandon gasoline for diesel in them.

 

100% sure. Toyota was resisting the idea of a plug back then and for years after.

Look here:
Toyota Today.

Mike

 

Toyota has RAV4 and Highlander EV’s which are still seen on the road today.

 

There were some FCEV Highlanders running around California.

There were two Rav4 BEVs. Both were made because Toyota was forced to by a ZEV program, and they were only sold in California. The first one was done by Toyota during the EV1 age. When the automakers got the program ended, Toyota was crushing returned lease ones along side GM. Until they caved to public outcry.

The second one was a conversion done by Tesla. Yep, Toyota didn't just give them money for nothing. In the binging, Toyota was one of the few not rolling the federal tax credit into the lease to lower the cost for the leasee. Then when the initial 3000 were made, they cancelled the partnership, and sold their stock about as soon as possible. The Mirai was coming out, and they only needed to put something like one of those on the road instead of 2 Rav4 EVs to meet ZEV credit requirements.

On a related note, the PiP came out after there were several companies doing PHEV conversions, because Toyota wasn't selling a PHEV themselves.

 

Not entirely correct a total of 1,484 RAV4 EV were leased and/or sold in California and this was the 1st Gen. The 2nd gen had Tesla motors within the RAV4. A total of 2,489 units of the second generation model were sold in California through April 2015

 

Never knew the numbers for the first gen.
I confused the 3000 with something else. The deal was for 2600 gen2s, and they also used Tesla batteries and supporting electronics.
Tesla Deal To Supply Toyota RAV4 EV Powertrain To End This Year
Toyota's in house BEV at the time was the iQ EV.