Motorists in Manawatū now have an opportunity to experience hydrogen-powered motoring, with Toyota making three fuel cell electric vehicles available for rent from Palmerston North Airport.
The vehicles are second-generation Toyota Mirai models, which operate much like conventional electric cars but generate electricity onboard using hydrogen rather than storing most of their energy in a large lithium-ion battery.
Toyota Mirai hydrogen cars available at Palmerston North Airport
Toyota is offering three Mirai fuel cell electric vehicles through the Palmerston North Airport branch of Ezi Car Rental, which is owned by Toyota Finance.
The vehicles are available for $79 per day, giving travellers and local motorists access to technology that remains uncommon on New Zealand roads.
Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are electrically driven. Instead of relying primarily on electricity stored in a rechargeable battery, however, the Mirai uses a fuel cell system that combines hydrogen with oxygen to generate electricity for its electric motor.
The process produces water as the main tailpipe emission.
Hydrogen offers a different approach to electric transport
Fuel cell electric vehicles have attracted interest internationally because they combine electric propulsion with relatively quick refuelling.
Unlike a battery-electric vehicle, which generally needs to be connected to a charger, a hydrogen vehicle can have its fuel tanks replenished at a suitable hydrogen station.
However, the technology faces a significant challenge in New Zealand: hydrogen refuelling infrastructure remains limited compared with the country’s expanding network of EV charging stations.
That makes Palmerston North an important location for Toyota’s latest initiative, allowing more drivers to experience the technology in everyday conditions.
Rental programme provides real-world test for hydrogen technology
Making the Mirai available through a mainstream rental operation could provide Toyota with useful information about how hydrogen vehicles perform when driven by a wider range of motorists.
Rental customers will be able to experience characteristics familiar to EV drivers, including quiet operation and electric acceleration, while using hydrogen as the vehicle’s primary energy source.
For New Zealand, the trial also comes as the transport sector continues to examine different ways of reducing emissions. Battery-electric vehicles have become considerably more visible on Kiwi roads, but hydrogen remains one of several technologies being explored for low-emissions transport.
Hydrogen remains a developing option in New Zealand
Hydrogen has often been discussed as having particular potential for heavier forms of transport, where large batteries and lengthy charging periods can present practical challenges.
Passenger cars powered by hydrogen remain much less common. Limited vehicle availability, infrastructure costs and the need to establish reliable hydrogen supply networks have restricted widespread adoption.
Toyota has nevertheless continued investing in fuel cell technology, with the Mirai serving as one of the company’s best-known hydrogen-powered passenger vehicles.
The second-generation model represents Toyota’s effort to demonstrate that fuel cells can be used in a conventional passenger vehicle while retaining the driving characteristics expected from an electric car.
Palmerston North drivers get access to uncommon technology
For customers at Palmerston North Airport, the $79-a-day rental offering provides an opportunity to try a vehicle that would otherwise be difficult for most New Zealand motorists to access.
The three-car fleet is modest, but the programme could help expose more drivers to hydrogen fuel cell technology and provide a practical demonstration of how it differs from both petrol-powered and battery-electric vehicles.
Whether hydrogen eventually gains a significant place in New Zealand’s passenger vehicle market will depend heavily on infrastructure, fuel availability, costs and the broader transition towards lower-emissions transport.
For now, Toyota’s Palmerston North rental programme gives Manawatū motorists and visitors a relatively accessible way to experience hydrogen-powered driving first-hand.
Alexander Donovan writes for News Collective, covering news, politics, business, technology, sport, entertainment, and lifestyle. He focuses on clear, reliable reporting and useful information, helping readers stay informed about current events, emerging trends, and stories that matter.