A collaborative agreement between Toyota Motor Salws, Toyota Motor Credit Corporation and FirstElement, locations for the filling stations will be approved by the carmaker and consistent with the California Fuel Cell Partnership’s road map.

The amount of financial assistance offered by Toyota will be based on the grant awarded to FirstElement by the California Energy Commission, set to be approved in June. All units will be compatible not only with Toyota’s own hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, the first of which will launch in 2015, but with other brands too.

Bob Carter, senior vice president, automotive operations at Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A said: ‘The first few years here in California will be a critical period for hydrogen fuel cell technology. California has stepped up with the offer to invest $200 million dollars to build 100 stations, and through this financial arrangement with FirstElement, Toyota is showing its full commitment to deploy zero emission fuel cell vehicles here in California. 

‘Perhaps most importantly, we are showing the future owners of this amazing technology that Toyota is helping to ensure that hydrogen refueling will be available, no matter what car brand is on the hood.’

Toyota unveiled its FCV hydrogen fuel cell concept concept at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, announcing it would assist with the roll-out of a refuelling network across California as it prepared for a commercial launch. California is expected to be a key market for the technology, based on its early adoption of hybrid and electric models and incentives for drivers.

The carmaker has also recently installed the world’s largest hydrogen fuel cell at its headquarters near Los Angeles, capable of providing up to half of the six buildings’ power and saving 15,000 tonnes of CO2 during the peak summer months.