Toyota Motor North America announced a strategic investment in California-based FirstElement Fuel on December 12, 2025, aiming to strengthen hydrogen fueling for current and future fuel-cell electric vehicle (FCEV) drivers. Toyota said FirstElement operated 92 retail fueling positions across 38 California locations at the time. The announcement did not disclose the investment amount or promise a specific number of new stations.
Which company did Toyota invest in?
The investment recipient was FirstElement Fuel, a California hydrogen fueling company associated with the True Zero retail network. FirstElement describes itself as a developer and operator of hydrogen stations; its website identifies True Zero as its network and lists Toyota among its historical partners (FirstElement Fuel).
Toyota’s December 12, 2025 announcement called the transaction a strategic investment, but did not state its value, ownership percentage, structure, or other deal terms (Toyota USA Newsroom).
How large was FirstElement’s network?
Toyota reported that FirstElement operated 92 retail fueling positions across 38 locations in California when it announced the investment. That is Toyota’s December 2025 figure, not a verified current count; FirstElement’s website does not provide a current total in the cited company information. Toyota characterized the company as California’s largest retail hydrogen fueling infrastructure provider in the same announcement.
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The distinction between positions and locations matters: 92 fueling positions does not mean 92 separate stations. Toyota reported 38 California locations.
What does Toyota say the investment is meant to do?
Toyota said the investment is intended to strengthen hydrogen fueling infrastructure for people already driving FCEVs and bolster the network for current and future FCEVs. It is support for fueling infrastructure, not an announcement of a new Toyota vehicle.
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- Fuel Cell Car Science Kit uses a PEM fuel cell to combine electrolysis and power conversion
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The release gives no quantified buildout target, schedule, or commitment to open additional stations. It also does not promise expansion beyond California. Although Toyota framed the announcement around U.S. hydrogen infrastructure, the network count it cited was California-specific.
How does this fit with Toyota’s other hydrogen projects?
Toyota has announced other hydrogen efforts, but the later projects involve different partners and uses. They should not be treated as results or extensions of the FirstElement investment.
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- The Hydrogen fuel trolley uses zinc particles and food grade citric acid to synthesize hydrogen, and then uses the produced hydrogen and air to generate electricity to drive the trolley.
- During the experiment, please use 80℃ hot water for Combination reaction (if the water temperature is low, the amount of hydrogen and air pressure from the Combination reaction are insufficient, the fuel cell cannot be used for power generation), and then take off the plug of the vent pipe at the lower part of the fuel cell, release the gas in the rubber hose immediately, and then plug it back immediately, so that only pure hydrogen and air are in the fuel cell, so that the fuel cell can generate hydrogen air power.
| Project | Partner and use | Geography and status as announced |
|---|---|---|
| FirstElement investment | FirstElement Fuel; retail fueling intended to support current and future FCEV drivers | California network; strategic investment announced December 12, 2025. Deal value and station buildout target not stated by Toyota. |
| Parts Center California fueling | Air Liquide; hydrogen supply and fueling infrastructure for Toyota’s North American Parts Center California campus | Toyota described work with Air Liquide and Iwatani on the project on April 28, 2025. On May 5, 2026, Toyota said it had a definitive agreement with Air Liquide for fuel at the campus, with mobile heavy-duty fueling planned to begin later in 2026, followed by a permanent station intended for heavy- and light-duty vehicles, including the Mirai. These were announced plans, not confirmation of an operational station (Toyota USA Newsroom). |
| Class 8 truck deployment | Hyroad Energy; a separate agreement for 40 fuel-cell commercial trucks | Southern California; announced May 4, 2026. Toyota said it would supply hydrogen using its own infrastructure then under development in Ontario, California (Toyota USA Newsroom). |
In its Hyroad announcement, Toyota reported that the trucks could carry up to 70 kilograms of hydrogen onboard and had an approximate range of up to 500 miles. Those are Toyota’s stated specifications, not independent test results.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What does a hydrogen fueling network support?
In a fuel-cell vehicle, a polymer-electrolyte-membrane fuel cell combines hydrogen and oxygen to generate electricity, which powers electric motors. Toyota also describes fuel cells as applicable to generators and buildings, but FirstElement’s retail network is relevant here because the investment announcement focused on vehicle fueling (Toyota Hydrogen Solutions).
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- 1. Electrical part: motor with wind shoulder, ammeter, voltmeter.
- 2. Ammonia fuel cell.Hydrogen's electrons travel from the anode to the cathode through an external circuit, generating an electric current. At the cathode, the electrons, protons, and oxygen in the air combine to produce water, which is the main by-product of the fuel cell.
- 3. PEM (proton exchange) water electrolyzer.Gaseous hydrogen is sent to the anode of the membrane, and air is sent to the cathode. The hydrogen atoms are stripped of electrons on the anode side, and the positively charged protons pass through the membrane to reach the cathode. In order for this reaction to occur, a platinum catalyst must be used.
- 4. The two proton exchange membrane electrodes in the organic base and the presenter are 35mm*35mm. Experimental steps. Add deionized water to the water level in the PEM water electrolyzer. The amount of water should not be too much to prevent water from flowing into the battery. After adding water, connect the hydrogen gas outlet on the water electrolyzer to the hydrogen gas inlet on the electrical energy with a gas pipe.
- 5.Then connect the 6V-12V DC power supply to the positive and negative wiring of the water electrolyzer part, and connect the transportation line of the electrical part to the electric energy after 2-3 minutes, the small motor starts to work, and the current is displayed on the current and voltmeter. Positive value.
At Toyota’s May 5, 2026 infrastructure announcement, Toyota Hydrogen Solutions vice president Thibaut de Barros Conti said: “For those still on the fence about fuel cells, the technology is here—and it’s quite good.” That is an executive’s advocacy for the technology, not an independent assessment.
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