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Mitsubishi is participating in the Japan Hydrogen & Fuel Cell demonstration Project (JHFC) subsidised by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) to develop new fuel cell vehicles that could be brought to market. The company is also continuing to research and apply fuel cell technologies in partnership with DaimlerChrysler.

Fuel cell vehicles run using a motor and fuel cells instead of an internal combustion engine. There are many advantages to introducing this technology:

Gasoline engine cars discharge nitrogen oxide (NOX) and carbon monoxide (CO), which causes air pollution. Fuel cell vehicles emit only steam and are thus extremely clean.

The most energy-efficient gasoline engines are approximately 40% efficient at using fuel. Fuel cells can theoretically convert 83% of hydrogen energy into electrical energy and are expected to become an extremely energy-efficient vehicle through future development.

Hydrogen can be produced by natural gas, biomass or solar power, thus can solve the oil exhaustion problem.

However, there remain many problems to be solved. Infrastructure like hydrogen stations for hydrogen production and supply should be well organised. It is also necessary to settle questions such as the cost efficiency of fuel cell vehicles, their workability at low temperatures and the safety of using hydrogen equipment.