The San Joaquin Valley has the worst air quality in the United States. Valley Clean Air Now (Valley CAN), a public charity committed to reducing air emissions in the region, has spent years attacking that problem one car at a time through smog repair vouchers and vehicle replacement programs for low-income residents.
The Mirai4All program takes that mission a step further. Starting
in Coalinga, Valley CAN replaced 27 older internal combustion vehicles with zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles at no cost to San Joaquin Valley residents, each paired with a $15,000 prepaid fuel card that covers nearly three years of hydrogen fuel.
In 2023, the program expanded to Los Angeles, where Valley CAN partnered with Energy Independence Now, Toyota, and community organizations, including the Boys & Girls Clubs of the LA Harbor and the Social Justice Learning Institute, to place 25 more vehicles with families primarily from marginalized communities.
The results are measurable.
Participants collectively drive more than 284,000 miles a year, preventing roughly 115 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually based on the EPA's average for a typical passenger vehicle. Coalinga participants save an estimated $1,424 a year on fuel and maintenance. More than 90% report having more disposable income for essential needs.
The numbers matter, and the people behind the wheel matter more:
- Angela credited the program's fuel savings with reducing her stress and making college possible.
- Joaquin was so taken with the technology that he's now studying engineering at San Jose State University.
“Valley CAN understands something fundamental: clean air strategies only work when they work for real families,” said Bill Elrick, Executive Director of the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Partnership. “Toyota’s Mirai4All proves hydrogen belongs in that toolkit, delivering zero-emission miles in the communities that have waited longest for them.”
Drivers can check real-time station availability anytime at m.h2fcp.org.
Programs like this show what's possible when hydrogen meets community-first design. Learn more about membership at h2fcp.org/join-us.