Toyota continues to progress with hydrogen power, successfully completing a long-distance test in a CaetanoBus in Germany using the fuel cell technology from the Toyota Mirai sedan. This particular test involved the hydrogen-powered bus completing a route between Hanover and Niebull, a distance of around 217 miles.

A far cry from the world's smallest hydrogen car, the heavy bus returned an impressively low consumption figure averaging 5.53 kilograms of hydrogen per 100 km, which roughly works out to 12.2 pounds of hydrogen for every 62 miles. That consumption was even lower for an uninterrupted section of the route completed at high speeds.

In a statement, Toyota said that the bus, also known as the H2.City Gold, "demonstrated its high practicality and efficiency on the Hanover-Niebull route during the IAA Transportation 2022."

Besides the long-distance test, the buses were used for regional transport close to the capital of Lower Saxony. The efficiency of the bus is especially good for a vehicle that can carry up to 64 passengers and adds further credibility to Toyota's desire to develop a "diversity of options" for powertrains, not just regular EVs.

Although hydrogen has yet to gain widespread traction, there are some promising signs for the technology. Take the Mirai, for example - 92% of owners of this sedan use it as their primary household vehicle, while less than two-thirds of EV owners do the same.

The Mirai's ability to serve as the main household vehicle is no surprise considering that it has a real-world range of around 350 miles based on our tests and can have its tank refilled in a mere five minutes.

But beyond practical commuters like the Mirai and the CaetanoBus, Toyota is showing that hydrogen can be used in more exciting applications too. That includes a hydrogen-powered GR Yaris, while Yamaha's 450-horsepower hydrogen V8 - based on the 5.0-liter V8 in the Lexus RC F - could make it into a future Toyota or Lexus model.

True gearheads need no convincing about hydrogen power as it seems like the most viable means of extending the life of the internal combustion engine, but not every major automaker agrees. One of Toyota's domestic rivals, Honda, doesn't see hydrogen as a viable alternative for reducing emissions because of "difficult technological challenges." In spite of this, Honda will still produce a new hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle at the facility previously responsible for the production of the Acura NSX.

For now, though, Toyota remains steadfast in its commitment to hydrogen.