Hydrogen fuel-cell cars have been on sale for more than two decades. Honda began marketing its FCX in Japan and the United States in 2002, and Toyota introduced the Mirai in Japan in 2014 as a mass-produced model.
In Southeast Asia, such vehicles remain rare, while governments direct investment toward battery electric cars (EVs).
The explanation lies largely in the infrastructure, energy costs and market conditions that surround the technology.
Industry Uses It, Vehicles Barely Do
Southeast Asia’s hydrogen demand reached about 4 million tonnes in 2024, accounting for almost 4% of the global total. Nearly half went to ammonia production, a third to oil refining and the remaining 20% to methanol, according to the International Energy Agency’s Global Hydrogen Review 2025.
No comprehensive, comparable figure for hydrogen car registrations across ASEAN was identified in the sources reviewed. Malaysia’s registration records offer the closest available guide.
Vehicle registration data compiled by automotive publication Paultan show that nine Toyota Mirai cars had been registered in Malaysia since 2023, with the latest registration recorded in May 2025.
The figure covers registrations of this model, not all hydrogen powered vehicles in the country, and does not indicate how many were privately purchased. In January 2023, four Mirai units were handed over to SEDC Energy and one to Sarawak’s premier for official use.
Refuelling infrastructure is also recent. Malaysia launched its first mobile hydrogen refuelling station in Peninsular Malaysia in May 2025 as a pilot project. The pilot uses three Mirai for on-road demonstrations over one year to test the technology under local conditions.
Indonesia inaugurated its first hydrogen station for vehicles in February 2024. Toyota has used Mirai vehicles in Indonesia for operational purposes and technology studies rather than for sale to the public.
Thailand has also tested hydrogen powered cars on public roads. According to the government report Thailand’s Low Emission Vehicle Ecosystem, Toyota introduced two Mirai vehicles for trials, initially as shuttle cars between Suvarnabhumi and U-Tapao airports.
Bangkok Industrial Gas (BIG) invested in a hydrogen refuelling station in Bang Lamung district, Chonburi province, to support the project.
The Infrastructure Problem
A petrol car can cross a country on the strength of an established network of filling stations, and an EV can charge at home, at work or at public chargers, though access to home charging varies.
A hydrogen car has no equivalent to either. It depends on dedicated stations that store the gas and dispense it at high pressure, which requires specialised storage, compression, cooling and safety systems.
Hydrogen refuelling stations are considerably more expensive to build than conventional EV charging infrastructure. The International Energy Agency estimates that a large 700 bar hydrogen station capable of dispensing 2,500 kg of hydrogen per day would cost about US$8.84 million in the United States and European Union in 2024.
Such investment can be difficult to justify when the number of hydrogen powered passenger cars remains small, limiting potential demand for the stations.
The region’s geography adds to the difficulty. It is spread across several countries and many islands, and a station in one city does little for a driver heading elsewhere without a wider network.
Hydrogen’s Energy Cost and Emissions
Most hydrogen cars do not burn the gas in an engine. They use fuel cells, where hydrogen reacts with oxygen to generate the electricity that drives a motor, leaving water and heat as the main by-products.
Hydrogen must first be produced by separating it from compounds such as water or natural gas. Depending on the production method and delivery route, it may then need to be purified, compressed or liquefied, transported and stored. These processes consume energy and add costs, as explained by the U.S. Department of Energy.
The climate benefits depend on how the hydrogen is produced. Hydrogen made from fossil fuels without carbon capture can generate substantial greenhouse gas emissions, while hydrogen produced using low-emissions electricity can reduce those emissions.
An EV skips most of this chain. Electricity goes straight into the battery, which then powers the motor. This generally makes EVs more energy-efficient than hydrogen fuel-cell cars for ordinary passenger transport, although the most suitable technology can vary depending on the type of vehicle and how it is used.
Electric Vehicles Pulled Ahead
The International Energy Agency’s Global EV Outlook 2026 reports that EV sales in Southeast Asia more than doubled in 2025, exceeding 500,000 vehicles and accounting for close to one in five new cars sold in the region.
The report links this growth to policy incentives, expanding domestic manufacturing and favourable import conditions, particularly for models from China.
EVs have also benefited from a wider choice of models and expanding charging networks.
Hydrogen may have a role in transport beyond private cars. Heavy-duty vehicles such as trucks have different operating requirements and could benefit from fuel-cell technology. Wider adoption in the region would depend on whether hydrogen can be supplied affordably, with adequate refuelling infrastructure and relatively low emissions.
