What the video seems to show / imply
- The video is about a Toyota hydrogen car (likely a Mirai or a hydrogen-powered test vehicle) that has issues — “failing” in some way (mechanical, reliability, performance)
- It’s part of the “Living With A Hydrogen Car” / Fast Lane Car / Donut Media family of videos about real-world experience with a hydrogen vehicle
- The video likely shows mechanical failures, performance setbacks, range problems, fueling issues, or general unreliability as evidence that the hydrogen car under test is not living up to expectations.
Known challenges & issues with hydrogen cars (with examples)
From existing reviews, tests, and industry coverage, here are many of the problems hydrogen vehicles (especially as passenger vehicles) face — and which may show up in tests like in the video:
| Challenge | Description / Examples |
|---|---|
| Infrastructure scarcity / station reliability | Even in places with hydrogen stations, many are offline or under maintenance, limiting usability. |
| Range / actual fuel filling issues | Real world range often falls short of theoretical due to station limitations (not fully filling), pressure/temperature effects, etc. |
| Performance / power delivery limitations | Response, torque, efficiency, especially under load or hill climbing, can be less favorable compared to battery EVs. |
| Cost & complexity | Fuel cells, high pressure tanks, hydrogen compression/storage, and related systems are expensive and complex. |
| Safety / leak risks | Hydrogen is very light and can leak; joints, seals, and piping have to be extremely reliable. Any leak near ignition sources is dangerous. |
| Durability / component wear | Over time, seals, membranes, joints, and other parts can degrade. Aging hydrogen systems may be more failure-prone. |
| Low adoption / economies of scale disadvantage | Because hydrogen cars are rare, parts, repair networks, expertise, and production scale are limited. |
| Efficiency losses in hydrogen chain | Producing, compressing, storing, transporting hydrogen, and converting it in a fuel cell introduces many losses compared to charging a battery. |
One detailed long-term review: MotorTrend spent a year with the 2021 Toyota Mirai. They found that their average real usable range was lower than advertised, fueling station reliability was spotty, and interior packaging was impacted by hydrogen tank placements.
Also, there’s evidence of hydrogen-powered Toyota prototype racing cars catching fire when a pipe joint loosened, causing leaks near combustion or ignition areas.
How “failing” is “failing”?
It depends on what kind of failure the video shows. Some possible categories:
- Complete breakdown / failure to run
- Significant performance degradation (power drops, sluggish response)
- Fueling/fill failure (station didn’t deliver full fill, pressure loss, etc.)
- Leaks, safety alarms, etc.
If the video shows, say, the car losing power or failing to complete a run, that’s a strong signal that a test vehicle (or small production unit) still has reliability issues. But such an example doesn’t necessarily doom the entire concept — though it does underscore how far hydrogen in cars has yet to go.
My take: is hydrogen for cars “dead,” or still viable?
Hydrogen for passenger cars faces an uphill battle. The challenges above are real and tough to overcome. Many in the EV / clean energy field view hydrogen fuel cell cars for personal use as less efficient, more complex, and less scalable compared to battery EVs, especially given how fast battery and charging tech is advancing.
However, hydrogen still may have niches where its strengths matter more — e.g. heavy trucks, buses, long haul transport, or areas where batteries are less viable (weight, energy density, fast refueling).
In short: hydrogen cars can work in certain conditions, but they haven’t yet proven robust or cost-effective enough for mass adoption. Videos like the one you sent help illustrate the gaps in real world reliability that still need big breakthroughs.