The Crown Sedan FCEV made its debut in 2023, marking Toyota’s second hydrogen-powered production car after the Mirai. Arriving as part of the brand’s wider effort to diversify alternative-fuel mobility, it offered a glimpse into how hydrogen might fit into everyday transport beyond niche applications.
Yet beyond the passenger version available to Japanese customers, Toyota has gone a step further by developing taxi and police car variants, each designed to test hydrogen’s potential in real-world, high-use scenarios.
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Starting with the taxi conversion, a fleet of Crown Sedan FCEVs is already navigating the streets of Tokyo and is expected to reach around 200 vehicles by the end of March 2026. Each car stands out with its black livery, blue graphics, and distinctive Tokyo H2 decals along the sides.
The cabin is equipped for full taxi duty, featuring an extra GPS unit, a fare meter, and a clear partition behind the driver’s seat. Passengers in the rear have ample legroom, tablet-style screens on the seatbacks, a separate touchscreen for climate settings integrated into the central armrest, and seats with a built-in massage function.
Toyota acknowledges that the FCEV’s 5,030 mm (198 inches) length can make it somewhat unwieldy on narrow urban roads, though it insists the payoff is smooth acceleration and a quiet, refined ride. Taxi drivers seem to agree, with one quoted as saying, “I’ve never driven a car this good before.”
Fares remain unchanged at ¥500 ($3), identical to a standard Tokyo cab, which makes the hydrogen option accessible compared to the more common Toyota JPN Taxi.
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According to Toyota, the taxi initiative aims to “help explore the optimal balance of hydrogen supply and demand.” President and CEO Koji Sato called it “a tremendous first step with meaningful implications for large-scale social implementation”.
A Crown For The Police
The experiment didn’t stop with taxis. In December 2024, Toyota revealed a Crown Sedan FCEV police carbuilt for the Fukushima prefecture, the region that suffered the 2011 nuclear disaster.
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The patrol version trades its corporate subtlety for a black-and-white paint scheme, complete with roof-mounted strobe lights, bold Police lettering, and Mount Fuji-inspired graphics on the hood. The standard Toyota badge gives way to a gold emblem.
Both the taxi and police models retain the standard Crown Sedan FCEV powertrain. A rear-mounted electric motor produces 180 hp (134 kW / 182 PS) and 300 Nm (221 lb-ft) of torque, drawing power from a Mirai-sourced fuel cell.
Hydrogen is stored in three high-pressure tanks, giving the car an impressive range of up to 820 km (510 miles) per refill.
For drivers less convinced by hydrogen, Toyota also offers the Crown Sedan with a self-charging hybrid setup that combines a 2.5-liter engine with dual electric motors.