Toyota Pushes Hydrogen, Not Enough EV Buyers, 100M On Threads

Shoot us a Text.

Happy Tuesday, troublemakers! Today we’re covering Toyota’s ramp-up of hydrogen fuel cells, the trouble with EV supply and demand, and the surprising rise of Threads.

• Toyota has been taking a measured approach to the future of automobiles, and is now investing in hydrogen fuel cell systems. Beginning in December, Toyota will start producing hydrogen fuel cell drivetrains in the US for the first time, all while developing a next-gen system.
  • The Georgetown, KY plant will get a hydrogen dedicated line producing fuel cell modules for heavy duty trucks, with a goal of 200,000 commercial and passenger vehicles by… the year 2030.
  • Trucking could be a breakthrough for hydrogen, as trucks run on established routes, and can guarantee business for costly hydrogen stations, creating a future network for passenger vehicles.
  • In May, Toyota agreed with Daimler Truck Holding to merge Toyota’s Hino subsidiary with Daimler’s Mitsubishi Fuso truck unit.
  • Producing 10,000 units a month is what Toyota needs to break even, according to Chief Technology Officer Hiroki Nakajima. He also said “Once we hit a tipping point, there will be explosive expansion.”
  • In 2026, the Japanese automaker will introduce a new system that reduces the cost of the fuel stack by 50%, improves cruising range by 20% and will make the engine twice as durable as a diesel.
  • The system will scale to fit all types of vehicles.
• Even though automakers have been scaling their EV output to challenge Tesla, there’s one little problem: not enough buyers. According to Cox Automotive, the nationwide supply of EVs in stock has swelled nearly 350% this year, roughly 3 month’s worth of supply.
  • EV sales are expected to surpass 1 million units in 2023, about 6.5% of the auto market.
  • Some notable brands with higher inventories:
    • Genesis sold only 18 of its G80 sedans in June, with 210 in stock (a 350 day supply)
    • Audi’s Q4 and Q8, and the GMC Hummer EV all have inventories above 100 days and aren’t eligible for federal tax credits.
    • Imported models from Kia, Hyundai and Nissan are stacking up because they aren’t eligible either.
    • The once hot Ford Mach E has cooled to a 117 day supply.
  • On the other end of the spectrum, hybrids have a lower inventory, with 44 days industrywide. Toyota’s Prius and RAV4 are under 30 days.
• Instagram’s new Threads app has reached 100 million users, even though it's only been out for a week.
  • Mark Zuckerberg said the launch has been “way beyond our expectations. [It’s] mostly organic demand and we haven’t turned on many promotions yet.”
  • Instagram head Adam Mosseri credited the team behind Threads. “We know this is a race to the starting line. They say ‘make it work, make it great, make it grow.’ Well, we certainly did things out of order, but I promise we will make this thing great.”
  • As of last

Join Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier every morning for the Automotive State of the Union podcast as they connect the dots across car dealerships, retail trends, emerging tech like AI, and cultural shifts—bringing clarity, speed, and people-first insight to automotive leaders navigating a rapidly changing industry.

Get the Daily Push Back email at https://www.asotu.com/

JOIN the conversation on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asotu/