Hydrogen power is a long-term inevitability. Not just in automotive, but for the world. We simply can’t rely on oil and coal for much longer. As a result, automakers working with hydrogen aren’t just working on it for vehicles. Honda, for example, uses it for power backup on campus in California and is working on scaling up. Toyota has gone in a different direction following the Toyota Mirai, and teamed up with the Finnish company Harvia to produce a concept model for what is “believed to be” the world’s first hydrogen-powered sauna. The concept will be presented at Rally Finland (July 31-August 2, 2025) in Jyväskylä.
Toyota
- Founded
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August 28, 1937
- Founder
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Kiichiro Toyoda
- Headquarters
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Aichi, Japan
- Owned By
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Publicly Traded
- Current CEO
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Koji Sato
Hydrogen Makes Absolute Sense here
By using hydrogen to power sauna heaters, the system generates only steam and warm air, emitting no CO2 during use. Indeed, the only emission you’ll see from something purely hydrogen-powered is water, making this a perfect fit. The concept will actually be debuted at the World Sauna Forum, which takes place during Rally Finland, which takes place in the Finnish lake district, and is the fastest event of the World Rally Championship’s calendar. The majority of Rally Finland is famed for mostly taking place on gravel, making it one of the most spectacular WRC staples.
“Jyväskylä is a key location for Toyota and TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team, with whom we have worked together for many years. This project builds on the strong trust established with the local community under the leadership of Chairman Akio Toyoda. Thanks to the initiative of the Central Finland Mobility Foundation, we’ve had the opportunity to partner with Harvia. Harvia’s dedication to craftsmanship has been truly encouraging, and I believe this hydrogen sauna opens new possibilities for the future of hydrogen use.”
Saunas And Rallying Are Finnish Staples
In Finland, sauna culture is deeply ingrained for both relaxation and social interaction. As well as hotels and gyms, saunas in Finland are also often found in homes and even office buildings. It’s estimated that there are 3.3 million saunas for Finland’s population of 5.5 million people. At the same time, Finland is a large area for its population, and mainly made up of forest roads, and not all of them are graveled. It also has a long and typically snowy winter as well as a lot of rain through the rest of the year. As a result, when people learn to drive in Finland, they have to learn car control quickly, so it’s no surprise that rally racing is incredibly popular in Finland.
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Knowing all that, it’s no surprise Finland has given the world a lot of rally drivers for such a small population. They include Tommi Mäkinen, Juha Kankkunen, Hannu Mikkola, Marcus Grönholm, Sebastian Lindholm, Ari Vatanen, Kristian Sohlberg, and the original Flying Finn, Timo Mäkinen. While not famous for rallying, Formula 1 driver Kimi “The Iceman” Räikkönen is Finnish.
Sources: Toyota
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